Naruto Uzumaki's Secret
by blukmage19r2
Summary: What if Naruto's biological family abandoned their son for his twin sister? Fortunately, Naruto is adopted into the Ayase family and life as an exile isn't as bad as it seemed, but when he came across the world of fanatical otakudom, he meets a girl that will change his life forever. Featuring side stories that followed up to the main event.
1. Chapter 1

**_Naruto Uzumaki's Secret_**

A Haruka Nogizaka no Himitsu and Naruto Crossover

Retold and Re-arranged by blukmage19

* * *

 **Rated** : M - for some comedic moments, language, descriptive sexual and non-sexual content, thematic elements, and occasional violence

 **Language:** English

 **Genre** : Romantic/Comedy/Slice of Life/Partial!Fantasy/School Life

 **Tags** : Adopted/Smarter/Unsanctioned!Ninja/Civilian/Hard!Worker/Naruto, Naruto!Forced!to!be!a!Ninja, Naruto/Harem-ish, Neglected/Adopted!Naruto

No!Bijuu, Semi-realistic

 **Main Pairing** : It's a secret...

 **Notes** : Naruto takes Yuuto's role; not really a "neglected by family" story, it's more of a reverse "Jacob Have I Loved" kind of sub-story with him and his older twin sister, Mirin (the "Naruko" favored by her parents in this story), but mostly focuses on Naruto's side.

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction. Deal with it. Any similarities of people (living, dead, or somewhere in between), locations, and characters used in this story are entirely coincidental. All rights of the franchises are reserved to their respective owners.

If you want to leave a review, please, no unnecessary flaming! Because it's like the old saying: if can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Otherwise, I'll be too busy with other things.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _It's Too Late...or Is it?_

* * *

 **§**

This is Naruto Ayase. Age: 16, Born: October 10, a Libra. Naturally Spiked-out blond hair with reddish roots, blue eyes, Olive-complexion from being outside so much, and 178cm (about 5' 10") with a physique like a toned swimmer.

Naruto lives in a spacious 2-story house with his mother and father (who are often in business trips), Ruko (23, his older and often partying sister), and his homeroom teacher Yukari Kamishiro (23, but thinking that she's eternally 17) who is boarding in the house, just to join in on the fun.

( _Lately, those two women have been trying to act precociously towards Naruto, because he's becoming more of a man, and they're still single, which made the male Ayase very upset in more ways than one._ )

He goes to Hakujoh Academy, Class 11-1 and has good ( _if a bit quirky_ ,) casual friends, such as Nobunaga Asakura. Nobunaga is an otaku _(fanatic)_ when it comes to things manga and animé, right down to the meticulous details. He tried to get his best friend since grade school (Naruto) to be more like-minded, but Naruto is more of a casual shopper only when the price is right and only when it's necessary, so his collection of magazines and collectables are rather limited, despite having the "Devil's Luck" in gaining income. Nobunaga has a younger sister named Mahiro that is a complete opposite of him. She visits Naruto with her "idiotic" brother from time to time.

But then, there's this one girl from his class that he can't help but recall of the times he seen her feel lonely and that other time when she forced herself to run away from an embarrassing situation revealed to the limited public, set up by a certain loose-lipped person, and that troubled girl is named Haruka Nogizaka. He became secret friends with her ever since they first met.

And as for Naruto, he's far from just an ordinary citizen. He was adopted into the family after his biological family left him at an orphanage, casting him aside for his twin sister, Mirin. Ruko always did wanted to have a brother, so she was given a responsibility to help with taking care of Naruto whenever they're away.

 **-NUS-**

[The month of June - At the Ayase Residence]

Back to the current time, Naruto uses his DVR recorder to record that one particular show that Nobunaga mentioned through his cellphone, in case he missed it. But because it's a late-night program, even it is rather cute TV show, he would rather watch it whenever he wants to, before transferring into a DVD recorder system, so he wouldn't have to stay up so late. Unfortunately, Naruto has other problems.

Ruko and Yukari have been partying all night again. They've been undressing themselves, guzzling high-draft beer by the mug (Ruko) or drinking too much wine (Yukari), and have been eating way too much on snacks, leaving a huge mess on the floor. Not to mention, the women are acting very bratty and childish when they called on Naruto to get them what they wanted.

It's high time that Naruto has to put his foot down and lay down the law on those two troublemakers.

Little did he know, a particular female student was watching the same show in the middle of the night, "Clumsy Girl Aki-Chan".

 **-NUS-**

[The next morning]

Naruto got up bright and early to fix his lunch and breakfast, fit for royalty, for himself and for his lazy, good-for-nothing, half-naked slobs, that are Ruko and Yukari. He utilizes his Shadow Clones to get things ready, while the original gets his sister and teacher out of bed, on the rug part of the floor and the couches.

"Oi! Ruko-neechan! Yukari-sensei! Breakfast is ready, ya know!" he called out, but with the women completely zonked, they wouldn't hear him anyway as he tries to wake them, "Nee-chan, you're going to be late for work again! Sensei, you can have all the time waiting to get married to a Mister Right, but you can't be late for your school meetings, ya know! You don't want to have another of those "Classroom Anarchy" arguments and upset the future of the economic structure, would ya?"

But Yukari, in her magenta undergarments, grabbed Naruto's leg, feeling rather frisky and she pleaded, "If you want to, you can take me as your bride, Naru-kun!"

"Let go of me, Sen-se-i!" Naruto grunted, "It's shameful for you to be drunk first thing in the morning, ya know!" And he senses Ruko throwing a ladle at him, but caught it at the right timing as he yelled, "Nee-chan, what was that for‽"

Ruko in her unzipped, panty-less, short-shorts and braless black A-shirt complained, "Your fish is cooked right and the miso's not too strong, thanks to your clones or whatever they are. When exactly are you going to get it right all by yourself?"

"Well, excuu~se us, Nee-chan, for being the extensions of the original!" Naruto's shadow doubles exclaimed while cleaning the kitchen and the den before poofing themselves out.

"If that's your problem, Nee-chan, then why don't you and Sensei stop partying so much and learn to cook for yourselves for once, ya know?" Naruto argued, but Ruko wrapped her arm around her younger brother and countered, "Hoh? You school kids like to talk back at adults like that, don'tcha?" And she pulled Naruto into a half-nelson and squeezes his face into her braless D-Cup breasts, trying to teach her "ornery", younger brother a lesson, while Yukari's bra came loose as she clamps her exposed D-Cupped self onto Naruto's leg and said, "Bad children needed to be punished! Pinch pinch pinch pinch!"

And Naruto is taking all the nonsense he can stand, but he can't stand it anymore.

And why not?

This wasn't exactly the first time he saw his older sister and/or his boarding tenant/teacher naked for many reasons: Ruko, for when he was taking baths with her when he was younger; and Yukari, when she passed out from one of her "bitch-in-heat" moments.

{Good grief, they're disgusting,} Naruto mulled to himself while ending being the pig in the middle, {I'll never understand women that way, ya know.}

 **-NUS-**

[En route to Hakujoh Academy]

Naruto managed to straighten things out when he poured some ice water on Yukari and Ruko's heads and they managed to sober up and go to their respective careers and Naruto gets dressed in his school uniform - -

 _(The men wear black slacks and belts, school-regulated shoes, a white formal shirt, a red tie, and a Veronica-Purple uniform top; the girls wear burgundy dresses and blue ribbons.)_

\- - and takes a different route to the private academy and followed the other students on their way over there.

The Ayase still brushed off his uniform while still trying to get over his out-of-control troubles. That's when Nagai ( _the one wearing a headband_ ) got curious (if not, getting nosey) about Naruto getting involved with girls. Takenami ( _dirty-blond-haired fellow wearing eyeglasses_ ) mentioned rumors about the Ayase getting into other men. Then Ogawa ( _the big burly guy_ ) came in and puts Naruto into a Full Nelson and exclaimed that his fellow classmate must've come to his senses about getting close to the girls.

"Listen, guys," Naruto explained, "I am not gay, ya know! I'm just a straight high schooler. Try living with an older sister and the homeroom teacher that is boarding in my house and you'll know what it's like learning the hard way about women!" And he easily slipped under the Full Nelson and pinched Ogawa's hand.

The 3 Stooges of Hakujoh, as they were called, hardly notice any similarities between Naruto and Ruko, because they think he is more like a ninja while his sister is more like a bugeisha _(a female samurai)._ And he has their homeroom teacher staying at his home. But the trio never thought they see Naruto talking about girls and that normal high school boys should be thinking about them, too.

"Oh, and like you guys think you can stand out in normalcy, ya know?" Naruto retorted, "Your methods in getting girls would likely blow up in front of your sorry faces. Besides, I have better things to do."

And it's not like he has given up on girls, it's just that he has trouble communicating with them, especially with Ruko and Yukari-sensei exasperating things. The Ayase isn't really that dense, either, because he can't help but being more of a practical person.

Nagai, Takenami, and Ogawa get distracted very easily as they see a stray kitten and played with it.

"Sometimes, you three are so hopeless," Naruto lightly facepalmed from the trio's vacant expressions. But then he started to hear the melodious playing of the piano by none other than the "Nuit Étoilée" and "The Silver Star of the Night" - Haruka Nogizaka. Her sweet music somehow calm the nerves of the people that have heard the melody.

Haruka is 160cm (about 5' 3") of a lady, full of high quality, 83 - 54 - 81 (in centimeters) for a curvaceous beauty, a Libra, and that is the oldest daughter the Nogizaka family that are said to be the richest people in the region, with maids to help maintaining with the mansion. She was once was elected as Miss Hakujoh Academy in the beauty contest last year, academically skilled, gifted with graceful beauty and smarts, a skilled martial artist, and a model woman to be motherly towards the future generation. But above all that, Haruka exudes a humble attitude. Many boys and girls (that's right, girls) wanted to confess their feelings to her, but she kindly turned them down for many good reasons.

("Good morning to you," Haruka would say with a sweet mezzo-soprano voice.)

Everybody confessed to the Nogizaka, that is, except a few who are already taken, including Naruto, for he hasn't gotten that far yet...

No wonder Haruka has a huge fanclub following her and that she's highly popular, not that Naruto wouldn't mind anyway, because every time he chats with Haruka in a friendly manner - the fanclub, the other citizens, and even the pets get terribly jealous at him and turned every color of the rainbow with envy. The problem is that whenever someone tries to get even with Naruto, they were eventually end up being pacified by the surprisingly strong Ayase. The fanatics rather not take too many chances with him.

 **-NUS-**

[In Class 11-1]

As Naruto entered the room and sets his briefcase down on his front row desk, he hears a group of girls greeting Haruka, sitting by the back row, near the windows, like she's royalty as she mingled with them. Naruto was wondering how the Nogizaka can handle her public, but the thought was interrupted when Nobunaga, from the adjacent classroom, called his name in front of him, "Naruto!"

"Hey, Nobunaga-san," Naruto greeted with a small smirk, "You're cheerful, as usual. How's your sister doing?"

"She's doing well in her school," the Asakura replied, "Oh, and by the way, did you watch last night's Clumsy Girl Aki-chan?"

"I managed to watch it and I didn't have to lose a wink of sleep," Naruto answered, for he has technological means to do so.

"So, was it interesting?" Nobunaga pressed, "The heroine, Aki-chan is especially awesome, don't you think?" And the Asakura kept talking about the details of the program.

The other girls couldn't blame Nobunaga to be into the Akihabara's Akiba Culture. If he puts his blabbermouth into his charms, they say, he would be rather attractive.

And then, Nobunaga shows the figurines of the different actions of Aki-chan, including the secret one.

The secondhand news is making Naruto have a depressing headache and then he said while crossing his arms, "Nobunaga-san, ya know, you're being rather rude for barging into this classroom just to show off your wares."

"You really think so?" the Asakura questioned like a rhinoceros, "You like talking about this stuff, don't you?"

"Now just a minute, will ya?" Naruto objected, "I just not convinced if I liked or disliked the hobby." And he carefully fixed up the figurine to examine it before putting it back down.

"Seriously‽ I thought you'd lean one way or another?" Nobunaga wondered about his best friend's wavering.

"What you mean by that?" Naruto couldn't comprehend what his friend said.

Then Nobunaga reached into his pack to pull out the 12th Volume, Year 6 of [Innocent Smile], the current magazine with all things animé, manga, and light novels. It's the same magazine brand that Nobunaga introduced to Naruto, even though the Ayase read it sometimes just to pass the time.

(Haruka's ear begins to twitch from the mentioning of [Innocent Smile].)

"So this is the current edition of [Innocent Smile]?" Naruto mused while looking at the thick magazine with Aki-chan on the cover.

Nobunaga said that he puts in a request for the library so that he can be the first to pick up the edition.

* * *

 _Naruto frequently goes to the library to check out the books that he wanted and an occasional magazine for a little nonsense now and then, and he turns the books into the check-in counter, where the old librarian man resides. Occasionally, the old man can get awful mean towards the delinquent students (male and female) who didn't return the books on time by the look of his eyes_.

* * *

The premium magazines of [Innocent Smile] are rather pricey and are expensive to buy them all without having a subscription discount or getting them from a secondhand store. Naruto asked Nobunaga the reason why he liked this magazine to be in the library.

The Asakura replied, "It's rather famous, after all, Naruto. This time, the premium inside the first edition of - -" But he was interrupted by a brief clatter as Haruka stood up and stared at what she sees. After a few tense moments of silence, she apologized to her classmates for the sudden surprise and the class resumed their routine and Nobunaga left to go to his classroom.

Naruto kept his thoughts to himself about what was the matter with Haruka.

 **-NUS-**

[Later in the day]

An announcement called out through the school, **»Attention, please. Attention. Class 11-2 Nobunaga Asakura-kun: the 12th volume of Year 6's [Innocent Smile] borrowed from the library is overdue. Please return the required book to the library promptly.«**

While the students get ready to return home, Naruto was changing his shoes as he was about to leave when Nobunaga passed by and asked him to help return the book to the library, because he wanted to make a collection map for the upcoming [Wonder Festival].

"Nobunaga-san, you're making things awful tough to be good friends, ya know," Naruto gruffly gave the otaku a warning.

"Sorry, sorry," the Asakura apologized, "But no use of wasting the opportunity, right? Thanks!" And he ran off to his own vices.

The questioning of where the Wonder Festival is at was kept in the back of Naruto's mind as he walked to the library; he needed some books to exchange anyway.

[At the School Library]

There was a sign of the angry librarian showing of "This Week's Wall of Shame" with Nobunaga's name and overdue book taped to the sign. Naruto returned the overdue book and said that Nobunaga had to do something "Quote - **urgent** \- Unquote".

"Tell that young man the next time he borrow things," the old man said, "HE BETTER RETURN THEM ON TIME!"

 ***Huuuuuuummm...*** The students' ears began to ring from the librarian's shouting, except for Naruto, who managed to muffle the noise at the right moment with his hidden means.

"I'll remember that, sir," Naruto replied as he searched the library. {One of these days, Nobunaga. One of these days, you'll be the one to pay the piper and have that ringing will be in your ears!}

And while Naruto was minding his own business, he passed by Haruka pitifully hiding her face with her briefcase and made a turn too early, revealing her identity as she almost dropped her case. She searched for the 63rd overall volume of [Innocent Smile] and take it to the check-out counter.

"Just don't forget... WHEN IT'S DUE!" the librarian roared.

Haruka complied and she hastily left the counter to make her exit, but in her rushing, she crashed into Naruto, who withstood the impact. She looked at him with a sense of fear in her eyes.

"Sorry, Nogizaka-san, I didn't look where I was going," Naruto apologized.

"Wh-wh-why are you here, Ayase-san?" Haruka nervously asked, "How long have you been here?"

"Easy now, I've only been here a few minutes before you arrived," Naruto explained, "I just returned a friend's overdue book recently."

"Did you see what I borrowed?" she asked.

"Not really," he replied and the Nogizaka moved closer to prove her taller fellow student's honesty and said, "I see. Well, it's no big deal anyway. Don't worry about, Ayase-san. Anyway, I'll be going now...!"

"!... Careful!" Naruto warned of what Haruka is stepping on: a rotating bookshelf as she started to crash and her case and her magazine of [Innocent Smile] were sent flying from the impact, inadvertantly showing her hosiery-covered panties. Naruto checked on Haruka's condition as he help her up from the fall.

"Wawawawa..." the Nogizaka groaned in pain, but then she see Naruto crouching down in front of her as she skittishly asked, "You-you did see it, did you?"

Naruto swallowed his pride and said, "What I see... I didn't mean to look down there, ya know!" And he pointed downwards to where her slip was showing in front of him.

Haruka covered her little mistake as the Ayase helped her up on her feet. Naruto was about to move to pick up the items that his classmate dropped, but when Haruka felt apprehensive about the [Innocent Smile] magazine beneath the case and she begged him not to as she accidentally tackled the Ayase by means of a loose flyer making her lose her footing. Naruto immediately uses his free hand on the floor to slow down the reaction from getting sacked, just before he barely avoided accidentally knocking the bookshelves over, like dominos. {That was too close for comfort, ya know...}

Then Naruto got up and picked up Haruka's belongings and the magazine and realized that his classmate likes reading the [Innocent Smile] issue. But what got his attention is that he sees a very sad Haruka looking up at Naruto, wanting her magazine back. As he helped the Nogizaka back on her feet again, caring less on the magazine and more on Haruka's concern and Naruto was about to give them to her when she morosely said, "I've been found out. *sniffle* I can't go on... *sniffle* It's the end!" And she tearfully ran out of the library, leaving her belongings behind.

Naruto felt ashamed that he couldn't tell her the truth faster. So he took his bag and Haruka's and hid the [Innocent Smile] magazine. Checking books out will just have to wait.

 **-Naruto's Secret-**

[At the Ayase Residence]

Naruto is in his casual clothes, reading the magazine with Aki-chan on the front cover and what looks like a glasses-wearing woman wearing a bear suit on the back cover. He just learned that Haruka is an Akiba-type, much like Nobunaga. Still, he couldn't blame her for having a hobby like this. He took a deep sigh and wondered about Haruka's concern as she left her belongings. So he took a moment with his prized ukulele from his family's trip to Hawaii and strummed a tune for a few minutes just to clear his head.

[Dawn of the next morning, at the Hakujoh Academy]

Naruto got up in the early morning hours to discreetly go to the academy to return Haruka's belongings. But then, he notices Haruka sneaking through another way to the front gate, towards the library. She was about to gain entry when Naruto called her name, catching her by surprise, "Nogizaka-san?"

Haruka was frightened by her classmate's appearance and reflexively acted defensive before she relaxes herself and asked, "What are you doing here, Ayase-san?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Nogizaka-san," he said, "Anyway, I come to return your case and your magazine. Don't worry, I haven't told anybody else about it, ya know."

Haruka's face began to blush blood-red and she thanked him for helping her and she ran inside the academy. And Naruto wondered what made his classmate be so overly shy when it comes to the magazine, even though he preferably reads the monthly manga inside. He decides to have an early breakfast after doing some assigned duties for the day.

- **NUS** -

And the problems between Naruto and Haruka began to escalate. It started with a chat with the 3 Stooges and he waved at Haruka, just to say hello. Haruka shyly looked away.

And again, when he and Nobunaga were going upstairs when Haruka and some other girls are going downstairs. Before the Nogizaka ran away, Naruto decided to let them go first, and Haruka then shy walked away, leaving Nobunaga and the female classmates wondering what was the matter with their idol.

Then, at Gym class, Naruto, Nagai, Takenami, and Ogawa helped move some soccer equipment to the shed, when a loose volleyball rolled next to the Ayase. And sure enough, Haruka and another group of girls were just passing by, putting the volleyballs in the shed. The shy Nogizaka ran away again, and the girls think that Ayase is to blame for her problems. So they threw the balls and... hit the 3 stooges instead, because Naruto skillfully avoided the barrage and said to them, "Sorry, but better you than me when it comes to understanding girls' feelings, ya know." The trio uttered things to Naruto many names including the meaning of a traitor.

"Benedict Arnold!" "Wan Jin'uei!" "Turncoat!"

- **NUS** -

[At the Ayase Residence]

Naruto is making beef stew with one of Ruko's full beer cans to make a tempt on the palate (more like giving it some flavor) and serve it to the household and his teacher who somehow lost her cellphone. He still couldn't understand why Haruka just seem to avoiding contact with him for a while. However, the thought was interrupted when Ruko demanded her dinner and Yukari complained (bottoms up) about her missing cellphone.

"Dinner!"

"Cellphone!"

"DINNER!"

"EVERYBODY, SHUT UP!" Naruto yelled and both women silenced themselves by his authority (and technique), "Why can't the both of you behave like honest citizens for once‽ Stew's just about ready, ya know! Now, Sensei, where was the last time you lost your cellphone?"

And the Ayases and the boarding teacher discussed their problems with Naruto at the table as he served their dinner.

- **NUS** -

[The next day, at the Hakujoh Academy]

Naruto has his farewell to Nobunaga as he was about to enter his classroom when he bumped into Haruka on the way in. "Sorry," he said to her, "Are you okay?"

Haruka teared up again and started to run away from her classmate as if she needed a restroom break, and the crowd began to get suspicious of Naruto, who in turn, suspected ill-intentions coming from them. The Ayase just has to find a way to talk to Haruka about her troubles.

[Later, After-school Hours]

Naruto decided to confront the situation by asking Haruka, with a diplomatic approach, about what made her run away so much. But then, Haruka started to escaping from her troubles again. Enough's enough, Naruto thought to himself as he started following the Nogizaka through the halls.

"Please don't come near me!" Haruka cried as she kept on moving. For someone being very shy, she knows how to run very quickly. But Naruto is also very fast.

And that's when the female students get the wrong impression that Naruto is a pure, genuine stalker as they distressfully shrieked for their idol Haruka being preyed upon by a guy. And the male students caught word from their compatriots, thinking that Naruto is now considered an enemy.

When Naruto came through a corner in the halls, he came across the fanclub in their special garbs and headbands, calling themselves, "The Imperial Guards, Haruka-sama's bodyguards" and they surrounded him.

"Guys, this has better be a joke, because I'm not laughing. And I'm certain that you are taking things way too far of perspective, ya know," Naruto warned while trying to hide his fighting intentions.

But then one of the members rudely said, "Shut up, you blond Preta! We won't let you lay a finger on Haruka-sama!"

What the fanclub didn't count was that felt like their necks are getting strangled by Naruto's Killer Intent as he calmly declared, "I think it's fair to warn you that I've fought foes bigger and more numerous than you so-called fanatic dum-dums can even bare to fathom. I've spent 3 long years forcibly being away from my family to endure their heavy trials as a warrior and even I don't like doing it. So, care to taste?"

Most of the female fangroup decided to back off, but some of the brawn-over-brainy men ignored the warning and attacked Naruto first, only to end up hitting their own members instead.

"Can't we all just face the facts and at least get along?" Naruto questioned while rubbing his knuckles with his shirt.

"Wrong!" the men yelled as tackled against their enemy, but Naruto pulled a flying backflip with ease, avoiding the clashing of bodies.

"Well, can't say that I didn't try, ya know," Naruto said before singing a little ditty from one of the movies he watched as he continued to make his way towards Haruka,

 _"Gotta keep... one jump ahead of the breadline, one move ahead of the sort, I take whatever you can't afford._ And that's the opportunity."

Naruto slickly removed some of the boy's belts off their pants, making them drop, revealing their unmentionables to the crowd. ***Girls Shriek!***

 _"One jump ahead of the fanclub, that's all and that's no joke. You guys don't appreciate when you're broke..."_ And when one of the bigger members tried to smash Naruto with a basket full of rubbish, the Ayase did a low sweep, causing the big lug to spill the contents, making the other miscreants trip onto the ground.

 **(Random Group Members)»** "Riff-raff!" "Fat rat!" "Scoundrel!" "Take that!"

" _Just a friendly chat, guys,_ " Naruto singsonged before making his move as more groupies and the Yes-men kept challenging and antagonizing the blond Ayase, wanting rip him a new one whenever they can, which of course, their moves failed to click.

" _One jump ahead of the footbeats._ "

"Vandal!"

" _One skip ahead of the hump._ "

"Streetrat!"

" _One trick ahead of disaster._ "

"Scoundrel!"

" _You're quick, but I'm much faster._ "

"Take that!"

" _Here goes, better throw my hand in. Wish me "happy landing", for all I have to do is jump!_ "

And Naruto made a long jump forward like an Olympic athlete and then ran across the walls and ceiling as he escaped through the route to the roof access stairs.

"Dammit, that Ayase!" one member grumbled, "He won't get away with this!"

"Everybody, stop your nonsense this instant!" the head principal stepped in, along with the teachers, as they chastise the fanclub and told them to break it up before there's going to be more unwanted trouble and they were let off with a warning. The faculty privately decided to let Naruto talk with Haruka to see if she can get calmed down, because he seems to the person that have the knowledge of negotiations.

- **NUS** -

[At the Roof Access]

Naruto dusted himself off from handling the real riff-raff, known as the fan groupies, as he made his way upstairs to where he spotted Haruka leaning near the railing, as if looking like she was about to jump off from a great height.

"Nogizaka-san?" he called.

"Please! Just don't come near me!" Haruka pleaded, "I understand, it's weird, isn't it? To have a hobby like this in school? Go ahead and laugh at me... It's over for me!"

"NOGIZAKA-SAN!" Naruto shouted to get his classmate out of her moroseness, "I told you earlier, I didn't tell anyone!"

Haruka turned to Naruto as he negotiated, "Listen, I don't blame you for being an Akiba-type or not. I don't mind any of that, ya know. But if it troubles you, then I won't tell anyone. Believe it."

"Ayase-san," Haruka started to say something, "You aren't trying to trick and make a fool of me, would you, Ayase-san? Do you look at me weirdly? The last time I trusted some friends, they broke my promise because most people would look down at a hobby like this... And that's why..."

"I see," Naruto mused for a moment, "But Nogizaka-san, you're still you, hobby or no."

"I am who I am?" she asked.

"Yes, Your hobby is a part of you, just like I have my own hobbies. But I think that underneath all this, there are more important things that make you who you are, and besides that..."

"Besides?"

"I don't really know how to put this, but, knowing that there is a different side of you, Nogizaka-san, in a way, that makes me feel glad. You might say that understanding and being around you for a short period of time made me happy."

Haruka felt a strange sense of joy as she fidgets with her index fingers and said, "That... that's the first time anybody has ever said anything like that to me. I thought I was going to be doomed in a life of being ridiculed. Once my hobby was discovered, I thought I would be tormented by it."

"Nogizaka-san, there's something you should know," Naruto said, "If you think you're sad because of your hobby, then I'm probably sadder." And he told Haruka about his crazy family life, bring an adopted son of the Ayase family, and that his biological family had done him a terrible wrong and they just wouldn't leave him alone to let him have a modest, clean living. He mentioned that he was forced to leave Japan for 3 years to the Land of Chakra (AKA - _The Chakra Islands, a Japanese Overseas Territorial island archipelago southeast of the Mainland known for the ninja ideals and dirty deeds_ ).

* * *

 ** _-Flashback, in brief details-_**

 _4 years ago, after graduating Grade School, Naruto was kidnapped and shanghai'd into the country by Minato, Head Leader of The Chakra Islands, forcefully inducting him as a soldier, even though the boy was disowned by his biological father, him. Naruto's so-called "compatriots" wanted to be friendly with him, but were actually using him just to get close to his ex-twin sister, Mirin. Even Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru have treated Naruto like dirt, because they favored Mirin like she's the passionate one. Their mindset is like the old phrase, "Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated", and Naruto's the Esau, they say._

 _But after enduring years of torture, getting imprisoned, false accusations, spying, stealing, and escaping, Naruto managed to find and use the lawbooks to his advantage and demanded Minato to let him return back to Japan, or else, they will face the law of its Emperor for the kidnapping and false imprisonment of a Japanese citizen._

 _The Council Houses of the Civilians, Ninja Heads, and the Elders objected and demanded that Naruto is to be put in prison for his (fabricated) crimes against their country. But the Ayase countered and pointed out to their flaws by finding many contradictions in the lawbooks that the councilmen forgot/ignored/neglected/overlooked to read, and that he "worked" in their military for 3 years as a genin and that he is to be honorably discharged from their services, because they haven't given him a proper promotion._

 _Minato and the councilmen realized that they have backed themselves to a corner. And Naruto also warned them to take him back home with the payments that they owed him, plus the back pay from being levied by the clerks' so-called "demon taxes" being put upon him - with interest (in Yen ¥) after the way they treated him with extreme injustice, or else the Ayase will have to use the culprits as his new pincushions._

 _(The amount of money owed to Naruto is enough to literally rob the nation of their entire money system, leaving them very deep in the red.)_

 _One foolish councilman tried to throw a haymaker punch at Naruto just to shut him up, but the boy ducked under the blow and gave his opponent a well-timed uppercut to the chin, busting his teeth and jaw, proving the Ayase's point._

 _Suddenly, the badly beaten Jiraiya,Tsunade, and Orochimaru broke into the chambers, and they told their leader to release Naruto immediately, for heavens' sake; because the Toad, Slug, and Snake Clans gave their ambassadors a thrashing they'll never forget, because they have forsaken families for fame and that they weren't really pleased with the nation's actions towards Naruto, even after they already disowned him. The clans also warned them that the Japanese SDF have gotten word of the kidnapping of Naruto Ayase and unlawful induction to the military system and have sent their top men to straighten everything out._

 _Minato, his wife Kushina (crying and sending out tear-stained letters to her disowned son, begging him for forgiveness), and a defeated Mirin came to terms of Naruto's negotiation and the SDF have sent him by helicopter and boat to the Japanese mainland to face justice at the Highest Court in Japan for the Chakra Islands' extraterritorial crimes._

 _(It took a few weeks, even with Naruto's quick paperwork, to settle the case to find that in the case of Naruto Ayase_ **V** **S** _the Chakra Islands, the latter was found guilty of their crimes, including false induction (by "_ _Cum hoc ergo propter hoc_ _"), kidnapping, and violating the adoption rights that made him and his wife forfeit their oldest son. Naruto asked the judge for leniency towards the defendants, and so the honorable judge agreed as the guilty party (excluding the innocent civilians of the Chakra Islands) will have to deduct some of their earnings to be put into Naruto's bank account and they'll be legal advisors and enforcers to make sure that the inhabitants and the trade offices are straightened out.)_

 _The Ayase was also given an honorable discharge for his services, after the JAG and their clergy checked out the records of the "inducted soldier". They weren't on good terms because the leader and his councilmen have found that the charges are nothing more than falsities, fallacies, and lies, stating that Naruto have caused trouble for a long time._

 _What's more is that Danzo Shimura and the Councilmen were captured by the military police on warrants for the suspicions of espionage, murder, robbery, embezzlement, selling and distribution of illegal drugs and paraphernalia, receiving stolen property, smuggling (stolen goods and human trafficking), tax violations, just about every kind of culpable crime and violation under the sun and in the shadows._

 _Naruto had missed his real family and friends for 3 long years; he even skipped a few grades in school after taking the exams and with the exchange of educational books, including the times he was forced to miss, plus the celebrating the holidays. He also is going to miss his real friends in the Chakra Islands that helped took care of him and vice-versa._

 _But most of all, he missed his first real girl-space-friend, Haruka._

 _After that, the rest is history._

* * *

"And that's the truth to what happened," Naruto finished.

Haruka felt moved by Naruto's tale and then she remembered the letters that Naruto sent to her, giving her some comfort and support that he gave to her, including some souvenirs from where he had been into during the journey. And that the young boy that became friends with her 6 years prior was the same young man that helped her in the same way. So she faced her classmate and said, "I am glad that I have met you, Ayase-san. I humbly thank you." And she gave Naruto a cheerful smile.

And Naruto is glad that the matter is settled. But then, he remembered the fanclub that forced upon themselves to assault him for upsetting their idol goddess and the teachers subsequently caught up to their "little game" and broke up the racket and sent the instigators home, but should he tell her?

(Hmmm, maybe or maybe not...)

 **-NUS-**

[Later, at the Ayase Residence]

Ruko and Yukari were watching comedy on their TV, while Naruto is preparing a sautéd dinner when the house phone ringed and it was Haruka's number that they exchanged before they left for home. He stopped the oven burner and picked up the line and said, "Hello? Ayase Residence."

 **»*phone chatter*«**

"What? Nogizaka-san? You forgot to turn the magazine to the library because it's due already‽"

 **»*phone chatter*«**

"And the old man would put your name on the Wall of Shame and you'll be found out, right?"

 **»*phone chatter*«**

"Okay, I'll meet you near the front gate of the Academy, ASAP, Nogizaka-san. We'll go to library together. Bye-bye." And he hung up the phone and uses his Shadow Double Art to create a clone to take over the cooking before he quickly dressed in his uniform top over his casual clothes. He told Ruko and Yukari that he has something urgent over at the school that has to attend to. And then he left the house to his destination, ninja style.

 **-NUS-**

[At the Hakujoh Academy - Hallway]

Naruto arrived first and Haruka came to the academy gates soon after. They decided to sneak into the library to return the book into the library. Naruto wondered if the entrance is locked and Haruka brought her set of keys with her, because her family is the main sponsor for the building's layout. And a good thing, too; otherwise, Naruto would have to resort to using his personal lockpick tools (including the special tool key inspired from "The Big O"). And the students gained entry inside the premises.

Naruto decided to use the dark of the night to his advantage when having Haruka holding onto his left arm for support as she apologized, "Forgive me, Ayase-san, for being such a burden to you., However, there wasn't anybody else I could ask to help me... *sniffle*"

"Don't be, Nogizaka-san. Don't worry about it, ya know," Naruto consoled, "But right now, we're in the dark. I can guide through it easily, but you might want to be watch your footing, and the night watchman is on the move, so let's be careful."

And the students carefully walked through the hall when Haruka stepped on something squishy that make her break out in goosebumps before she muffled her shrieking with her free hand and clinged to Naruto's arm closer to her chest. Poor Naruto felt the soft breasts of Haruka pressing against him, but he questioned, "What happened?"

"I...I must have touched something soft..." Haruka whimpered.

{You ain't kidding, sister!} Naruto blushingly noticed his problem, and then they looked down to find a loose washcloth dropped by a careless student. Haruka blushed madly again and apologized as they pressed onward.

Naruto and Haruka then came across the stairs to the 2nd floor, where the library is located. The location can get eerie and bewitching in the middle of the night, and as they climbed up, Haruka began talking about scary things and fiddle-faddle that she can't help but mention like the dancing body in the science room, the ghost cat that haunts the library, or the story how a person would die if one went up to the actual 13th floor at midnight. But then Naruto hushed Haruka, telling her to keep quiet, because the watchman is nearby. So he uses a Genjutsu to fool the guard, thinking that nobody is around and that he was convinced to look somewhere else. The trick fooled the watchman as Naruto and Haruka sneaked further into the library.

Along the way, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle as he can tell that Haruka is a pretty funny kind of girl. And Haruka thinks that Naruto is a odd person himself, because for a guy who is somewhat apathetic about animé talking to a girl like her, Naruto could be called the "The King of Strangeness". And Naruto took a bow and thanked her with a playful smile and the students chuckled together, but shushed at each other before moving on.

 **-NUS-**

[Hakujoh Academy - Library]

Naruto looked for Haruka's card and used the stamp to prove that the magazine is checked in and then he and Haruka returned the [Innocent Smile] back into the shelf proper. But suddenly, they hear a sound of a cat yowling in the halls, making the Nogizaka scream from its ominous presence, thinking it was the fabled "ghost cat". Her legs gave way from her fright, preventing her from moving, "A-Ayase-san...?"

Naruto crouched down to the frightened Haruka and clasped his hand with hers and said, "Everything's going to be all right, believe it. I sense no evil intentions, but I do sense something electronic nearby. I'll go check it out." And he looked at the floor and it was a cellphone making those awful noises.

"I knew it, it's Yukari-sensei's phone," Naruto said as he held the device, "She was fussing about losing it. Thank goodness, nobody crushed that phone underfoot."

And when he made sure that the coast is clear, Haruka still couldn't get up, because her legs fell asleep on her, partially revealing her panties again.

Naruto started to laugh from all the hullabaloo that they went through to straighten things out. It turns out that he and Haruka have some things in common, and they managed to exit the school premises without a hitch.

 **-NUS-**

[Outside the school]

Haruka thanked Naruto for helping her out and having a lot of fun together. That was when the students begin to break the ice as they gave each other their given names, even though calling them by surname is polite on one hand, especially when Haruka can't help but feel nervous about reaching 1st Base on relationships.

Then before Haruka left, she went to the nearest streetlamp and took a courteous bow the way Clumsy Aki-chan did in her TV show.

And the newly bonded students left back to their respective homes for the night.

 **§**

 **To be continued... ==»**

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, another rough-drafted idea out of the way. As you may know, there are some stories and challenges that I've written that either have slow progress or are considered as temporary one-shots, let's just say that life gets in the way at times. And there some stories didn't have much reviews because some people likely weren't taking their time to read.

However, there's one thing that won't change, and it's that I won't completely give up and keep thinking up different ideas more information until I say it's done.

Also, to those who have complainings about why my stories kept revising from time to time is because there are grammatical errors and runoffs here and there. So some of the time, I keep on correcting those problems, because I said so.

* * *

Stay warm, Merry Christmas, and have a Happy Holidays to you all.

The heat of the moment will be on!

\- _blukmage19_

* * *

 **As of 1/4/19** : Some of the story will be frequently be revised, because it's more like a rough draft than an actual completed chapter. I decided to make Haruka a bit taller than the original data, because it's more like she gets part of that from her father, even though her mother and younger sister (which we'll see later on) aren't exactly the tallest among the women, nor were they the shortest.

Both Naruto and Haruka were born about 10 days apart from each other; meaning that Naruto is a Libra (October 10th) and Haruka is also a Libra (October 20th), both very close proximities in the Zodiac.

The story is more of an older T-rated than M-rated, because of the constant immodest scenes. There isn't going to be any lemony scenes, per se, but romance will no doubt be shown in this story, as well as some lime scenes, some detailed nudity involved, and a lot of butts (and I do mean butts) will be showing; intentionally or not.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _It's My First Time..._

 _So Do I…_

* * *

Note: Di Gi Charat ( **Koge-Donbo** and **Broccoli** ) will make a guest appearance in this chapter. All rights are reserved to the creators. The arrangement in this story, however, is done by Yours Truly.

* * *

§

[In the streets, en route to the Academy]

Naruto is holding his cellphone with a picture of Clumsy Aki-chan and the reason why her cute dress bares her midriff and her navel, and why her heart pendant is a secret item. Naruto understands how the character is rather popular and Nobunaga and Haruka are fans about her. Speaking of Haruka…

"Naruto-san!" the Nogizaka called out as she managed to catch up to him, "Good morning to you, Naruto-san."

"Good morning, Haruka," Naruto greeted back while trying not to make himself overly conspicuous as they continued walking to the academy together.

As the two students passed over a bridge, Naruto then noticed, "Ya know, Haruka, I didn't know you can walk to school. Don't you normally be chaperoned by car?"

"Oh, not really," Haruka explained, "It's not really that far, and it is good for one's health."

And why not? Haruka lives in a mansion with a spacious yard. A normal person would be totally exhausted from walking such a distance. At least, it pays to be athletic, both students thought to themselves.

As they were walking, Naruto senses the other jealous students (both male and female) showing their ill-intentions toward him being around their idol student (and they probably hadn't learned their lesson from an earlier incident),

::Who the heck is he?::

::Who does he think he is‽::

::He's getting too friendly towards our Nuit Étoilée!::

::Naruto Ayase!::

::That corrupting vandal!::

::Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Unforgivable!::

Naruto gave the wary onlookers a quick stare and a smirk, silently saying to them, {You're just jealous that you don't understand Haruka all that well, now do ya?}

Then Haruka asked her friend, "So, Naruto-san, what were you looking at on your cell phone?" He takes his phone from his inside shirt pocket and showed Haruka the picture of Aki-chan. "Oh! This is an information site about Clumsy Girl Aki-chan," she said.

"I figured that I should learn more about the animé you like, Haruka," Naruto explained.

"Really?" Haruka happily squealed, "That makes me happy." Then the site shows a different character, a girl with greenish twin braided hair and wears a stylishly pink dress from the same series, "This one is Hopeless Girl Meg-chan, she's more of a rival to Aki-chan, but she's actually a good character."

"Uh, Haruka, can you hold that thought for a moment?" Naruto interrupted as he notices that the other students are getting too close to let their jealousy spoil their time together.

"Naruto Ayase! Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Unforgivable!" the envious students grumbled as they plan to murder that bum (Naruto) for corrupting their idol superstarlet.

"Haruka, run!" Naruto declared.

"Ah, okay!" the Nogizaka agreed as she and Naruto made tracks as they head towards the academy.

"They're getting away!" one male groupie yelled.

"No! Nogizaka-san!" a female screamed

"Get him!" a group of boys declared.

"Keep that punk away from her!"

And the students kept chasing Naruto and Haruka across the streets, seeking to pulverize their rival to the ground.

"I wish that it would stop, ya know!"

 **-NUS-**

[In the Academy Sporting Grounds]

It took a while, but Naruto and Haruka gave the raving fanatics the slip by means of the Ayase's genjutsu, believing that it was them and not the originals, as the two managed to catch their breath from all the running.

"That was a close shave," Naruto slightly panted from the long distance with his friend in tow.

"For-forgive me, but... give me a moment... from running so much," Haruka gasped for breath.

"Well, it's tough keeping a secret, after all," he said after stretching his joints, "You having an Akiba-type hobby and me with my ninja arts."

"Yes," Haruka replied while brushing her hair aside, "It's a secret between you and me."

Naruto gave off a quick chuckle for a moment, when the Nogizaka asked, "Umm... Naruto-san, ah...well... Are you free this Sunday?"

"I don't think I have anything particular yet, ya know," Naruto answered.

"If that's the case, can you… What I mean is .." Haruka nervously wanted to say something off her chest.

""Can I go out with you?"" Naruto guessed, "Right?"

"How... How did you know, Naruto-san?" she flabbergasted as if he read her mind.

"Psychic powers," Naruto joked, leaving Haruka feeling rather confused, "Just kidding. I was actually thinking the same thing, just start out as a friendly kind of date before we think about... jumping off the deep end, reaching first base... What do you say?"

Haruka panicked for a moment. She was thinking about going on a shopping trip, and is trying be grateful for him to come with her, and at the same time have been having crazy ideas about the future like getting romantic and all sorts of things…

But in Naruto's opinion, the general populace would call this approach a date.

After Haruka finished steaming herself in embarrassment, Naruto calmed his friend down and then said, "Let's try this again and reverse it. Haruka Nogizaka, would it be an honor that I may go with you?"

"Naruto-san," she responded, "Yes. Thank you very much. To tell you to truth, it's first time going [there], I'd feel insecure going by myself. I was thinking about what will I do if I get rejected..."

"And by "buying something", you mean by going to where I think that you wanted to go..." Naruto surmised.

"That's right," the Nogizaka replied, "Akihabara!"

Akihabara... A memory of an event 6 years ago reminded Naruto of the last time he went shopping with a certain otaku.

* * *

 _-Flashback-_

[6 years ago]

 _Before Naruto met Haruka, he was "forced" to carry Nobunaga's bags full of things anime and whatnot from their shopping trip. It's not that he didn't mind handling the heavy bags, he needed some way to develop his muscle, but the real problem is…_

 _"Say, Naruto, let's go check out a few more places," Nobunaga (age 10) said._

 _"Come on, Nobunaga," Naruto (age 10) complained while holding as many bags as he can take, "Why can't you carry your share of the luggage and shop later? I want to shop for things, too, ya know."_

 _"Look, they're precious books, Naruto!" the young otaku replied gleefully without a care, "Take good care of them your way back!"_

 _"Nobunaga, you're making it awful tough to be friends, ya know‽ I am not your mule train!" young Naruto angrily yelled as he swore, "That does it, ya know! I won't go to Akihabara to shop the same way with you again!"_

 _And later on, Nobunaga was given a good scolding by his parents and his younger sister, Mahiro; and Naruto made Nobunaga carry his own merchandise whenever he (that is, the Asakura) buy things for himself. But the Ayase still visits Akihabara, now and then, just to see what wares were needed around the house, and sometimes visits the stores to give his closest friends a gift or two from GAMERS, his favorite spot._

 _(He's actually a semi-regular in the store and is good friends with Dejiko (Di Gi Charat), Puchiko (Petit Charat), Rabi-en-rose (Hikaru Usada), and the other regular shoppers.)_

* * *

 **-NUS-**

[Sunday, at a stop in Akihabara]

Naruto is dressed in his casual clothes, waiting for Haruka to arrive. He never been into this town with somebody other than Nobunaga, his family, or even by himself. That's when he spotted her among the crowd. Haruka, in her summer dress, found her friend waving at her near the appointed location.

"Naruto-san, forgive me, but did you wait long?" she asked.

"Not really," the Ayase answered and then gives a cryptic quote, "A ninja arrives neither early nor is he late. He comes when he comes."

"Really? Oh, thank goodness. The Akihabara station is very much like a maze in here, isn't it?"

Naruto briefly glances at Haruka in her white, knee-length float dress with baby-blue rings around the hip and leg area, and a pink, sleeveless, and frilly overshirt, and her salmon-pink purse that she carries around, just like a casual shopper.

"Umm, Naruto-san?" she shyly gets his attention, "When you look at me like that, I feel..."

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry," he apologized, "It's just that you look... ravishingly gorgeous, that's all." And while Haruka enjoyed the flattering compliment, the other people and rubberneckers looked at Naruto leeringly, thinking that he and the maiden didn't paint a good picture.

::What's with that dumbass?::

::They don't fit together.::

::Is she a seiyū (voice actress)?::

{Ya know, you really gotta stop treating Haruka like she's a prize to be won,} Naruto gave them a secretive (dirty) look of his own. Then he turns to the Nogizaka and suggested, "How about we go shopping together?" And onward the twosome went to their destination."

 **-NUS-**

Haruka show him her version of the map, detailing the shops where she wants to go, with a planned route - from several key spots to her destination where she wants to get the recent gaming handheld system: the NEW Portable Dream System (PDS) XL. (The gaming system is like a cross between a "NEW" Nintendo 3DS XL with a PlayStation Vita. It plays on game cards instead of UMD discs and can take pictures stored in a micro-SD card.) She saved her money for just such an occasion.

The trouble with this map is that it's been hand drawn and it doesn't quite match the locations that Naruto can decipher. Not to mention, she has a drawing of a rather... "cute" beast with a body like a Shih-tzu with the teeth of a lion.

"Haruka, is that a lion or is that a dog?" he curiously asked.

"It's really a dog," Haruka answered.

"Looks more like a spruced-up Komainu (lion-dog) to me," Naruto murmured, but then he mentioned to his friend about a certain bear that he frequently sees from one of the stores that has 4 expressions rolled into one face - happy, sad, scared, and angry. The people couldn't tell if it's currently one of the expressions. He drew on an empty spot on the paper to show her what he was talking about.

Haruka was surprised about Naruto's sketch and then she asked, "Umm, how well is the dog drawn?" And she gives off her truthful cute charm to him. "It's embarrassing to take pride in myself, but this is something I have a lot of confidence in it."

After a bit of convincing, Naruto said the Komainu (as he called it) looks cute, because Haruka has her way of drawing things (even if they looked like they've been drawn by a naïve child). And the Nogizaka is praised for her little project. Normally, he and the other people thought that Haruka is perfect in anything... Correction, almost anything - things like playing the piano, flower arranging, smarts, and sports, but she still has a long way to go with other talents. He supposed that there has to be a first time seeing his longtime friend is trying something to be different.

Fortunately, Naruto pulls up the real detailed map of Akihabara and that he also knows the stores from the back of hand (even though they changed locations or have closed its doors but good, but the buildings stay the same). Then they went to their first stops along the way, through many crowds of people, to see the sights of the town - from cosplayers passing flyers, to idol singing groups, and a store where they're selling figurines and statuettes of Clumsy Girl Aki-chan. Haruka wanted to save the PDS as last on her shopping list.

[Stop № 1 - Toranoana]

The store has a lot of comics and doujinshi on the shelf reflecting many shows and even original projects. Haruka explained that the authors use ideas and blueprints based from animé, manga, or even game characters to create their own version of manga.

But when Haruka took a peek at one of the doujins, she blushed madly at what she saw and fainted from getting overly excited. Naruto helped his inebriated friend up and realized that the doujin she picked up was actually a yaoi (Male to Male relationship) fic.

"I guess that was too much for you?" Naruto quietly said as he put Haruka's arm over his shoulder, "Let's go outside to get you some fresh air, ya know." And as the twosome went outside, they didn't see Nobunaga coincidentally passing by, carrying some books as he was walking out in a different sidetrack.

 **-NUS-**

[Stop № 2 - animate]

Haruka recovered from her spell and liked the place as she sees what she saw: a store full of anime goods and trinkets. It's mostly window shopping, as she finds some plushy characters rather cute, but she rather not spend on them just yet.

 **-NUS-**

While Naruto and Haruka were walking to the next store, the Nogizaka noticed a lot of well-painted and posed characters of Clumsy Girl Aki-chan and other characters from different series on the shelves, next to a cut-out promotion of the idol singer Milan. She asked Naruto, "Just by looking at cute things, don't you feel a sense of happiness?"

"That's fine by me, ya know. But are you sure you wanted to buy something?" he curiously asked.

But Haruka shook her head and concerningly answered, "I really want to buy it, but I don't have extra money. You see, my dear father is a very strict person, so he doesn't give out pocket change for these kinds of things; especially the whole shelf. And today, I've brought the money that I've been saving up for the PDS for some time. And because of that, Mr. Piggy went to heaven."

Naruto thinks that "Mr. Piggy" is one of those breakable piggy banks that she have unfortunately have to smash it open. Thank goodness that his piggy back is a hard plastic one that he can open without having to break it. And he doesn't blame his friend for doing so. Maybe, he has an idea…

"But that's alright, I'm satisfied with just looking at them," Haruka finished.

"I see," Naruto surmised, "Haruka, how come you like being an Akiba addict?"

"Well, it was about 6 years ago," she said as she reminisces, "I was crying in the park after dear father scolded me for my mistakes. You came by and gave me a book."

"That's right," Naruto filled in the blanks, "It was from that one time when I got mad at Nobunaga for leaving me holding his sacks full of books and doujins. Figuring that this is the last straw, I decided to pull a little prank on him by taking my copy of the first issue of Innocent Smile and hiding his extra issue where he doesn't know."

(And that's how the relationship between Naruto and Haruka started.)

The Nogizaka felt elated and further explained, "Although I'd never read those kind of books, before I knew it, I was totally drawn into it. I felt the ease of pain from being scolded as it went away."

"I'm glad that you've felt much better after that, ya know," Naruto agreed.

Haruka drew a sigh of relief, "Manga and animé are amazing, aren't they?"

Naruto silently agreed, but then he hears the voice of Nobunaga calling out to him, trying to get his attention. He asked Haruka to hide in the store and let her window-shop for a moment. He's going to have a little chat with his friend, to which she complied.

Just then, Nobunaga came running to Naruto and said to him, "It's rare seeing you coming to Akihabara! Have your interest for this has finally awoken?"

"Don't press your luck!" Naruto sarcastically remarked, "I only come here whenever I need to, ya know. Putting that aside, what are you doing here?"

"A silly question, Naruto," Nobunaga tutted, "When it's me, there's Akiba; when there's Akiba, I'm here. You see?"

{No, I don't get it...} the Ayase kept his thoughts and his frowning to himself, with a sweatdrop.

"Anyhow, there's a DVD sale at Soft One soon."

"Is that so?" Naruto questioned, "Then why don't you go on ahead get a spot over there? Hurry up and get going!" And he gave the Asakura a bit of a nudge, which actually translated as, "Just go away!" So, Nobunaga reluctantly obliged and waved goodbye to Naruto and left to his own vices and said, "Oh, and tell your new girlfriend I said Hi." And then he left.

{Well, I'm glad he's gone,} Naruto sighed for brief respite, {But how does he know about Haruka?} However, when he turned around, Haruka somehow must've disappeared. Where in Akihabara could she be?

 **-Naruto's Secret-**

Naruto is using his honing instincts to find Haruka, because he shouldn't have left her alone for too long. He couldn't use his Shadow Doubles in the crowd to make himself look conspicuously suspicious, so he has to things the old-fashioned way. Along the way, he accidentally bumped into a blue-eyed, red-headed girl (who is about his age), knocking her down onto her seat.

"Man! Why don't you watch where you're going?" she exclaimed.

"I'm terribly sorry," Naruto apologized, "I was looking for my friend who wandered off somewhere. Are you all right?"

But then he averted his gaze for a moment because of what he didn't want to see. And sure enough, the girl has caught herself in a compromising position, her panties were showing from under her yellow pleated skirt in front of a guy (that is, Naruto) and she embarrassingly hid her mistake.

"Honestly, nobody saw it, moron!" the girl blushingly exclaimed as she was helped back on her feet, "You must've lacked common sense for running around in a crowd of people, dattébéyo (ya know)!"

"Hey, it wasn't on purpose, dattébayo (ya know)," Naruto exclaimed, but then something crossed their mind because of their minds.

"Dattébayo!/Dattébéyo!"

Naruto and the redhead thought they look somewhat related to each other, but the Ayase explained, "Sorry, but I'm looking for a girl who has the air of a princess with long, hip-length honey-blonde hair."

"Really? You got separated from your girlfriend?" she curiously asked.

"If you mean by "close friend", then yes. We haven't really quite reach the next step yet, ya know."

"Oh-hoh? Then how come you speak with the verbal tic like I do? Are by chance related to the Uzumaki clan?"

"Formerly. You see, I've been disowned by the current head of the Uzumaki family ever since the day I was born. What about you?"

"My branch of the family were exiled from their homeland by a crotchety and grouchy old man with bandages on his right arm and on his face, long before I was born."

{No doubt Danzo Shimura, the thieving scoundrel, and the other conspirators were involved in all of this, even after they were detained,} Naruto thought, but he suddenly realized that forgot his manners and said, "Forgive me, my name is Naruto Ayase, Hakujoh Academy, Sophomore."

"I'm Shiina Amamiya," she introduced herself, "I just moved from Otaru, Hokkaido and I'm a sophomore student about to transfer into Hakujoh. By the way, the person you're looking for just pass through the alley nearby, ya know."

Naruto thanked Shiina and left towards the location, putting a priority on finding Haruka.

"I can't believe that I have a cousin. He may be a distant relative, but he sure is a hard working guy, ya know," Shiina remarked to herself before she gave off a assuring chuckle. "But that girl looked familiar..."

 **-NUS-**

[In the alley]

Naruto ran towards where Haruka was heading to, thanks to Shiina's relevant information. And as he stopped, he saw her with a group of 4 taller, muscular men that looked like they're foreigners. He senses no ill intentions from them, so he called out to her, wondering where she went to, during the brief separation.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-san, but these 4 men from Russia seemed to have gotten lost and I was helping them because of their trouble with the difference of language," she explained to her friend, "I was showing them the way."

"At least you're safe, ya know," Naruto said as he let out a sigh of relief.

Then he turned to the Russians as they asked in their native tongue (translated into English), «"Hey, Miss, is he your boyfriend?"»

«"No, he's a close friend."» Haruka replied in Russian.

«"She's right,"» Naruto said surprising well, «"We've been friends for a while. And for a moment there, I thought you were about to do something bad towards her, but it seems that you have good and honest intentions."»

«"Seems that way, See you, boy."» the foreigner said as he and his buddies bid farewell to Naruto and Haruka.

"You sure are amazing, Haruka," Naruto resumed his native tongue.

"Forgive me, Naruto-san," she apologized, "I left without telling you. By the way, I didn't know you can speak Russian."

"Well, when your parents are businessmen that are away a lot, you tend to teach yourself multiple languages to understand the foreign business matters," Naruto cryptically said, "And confidentially, I've been to a Russian city with my family a long time ago." Haruka was amazed at Naruto's talent and intuitiveness. Then he asked about the next destination, and it's right where she wanted to go next.

 **-NUS-**

[Stop № 3 - Gachiko Hall]

It's a nice and quaint place for people like to collect any knick-knacks, just to add whatever they wanted to their gallery, or just to have fun.

There are rows upon rows of different collectables in Gachiko's emporium. And sure enough, Haruka and Naruto came across the Clumsy Aki-chan section.

"Want to have a go at it?' he asked.

"Have a go?" she wondered.

"Uh-huh, the gachapon capsules are cheap, no, more like well-priced."

"But, Naruto-san, this is my… well, first time," Haruka blushed from the situation. "It's my first time coming here, looking and touching at them. Well… how should I put it…? My first… experience?"

No wonder Naruto realized how sheltered Haruka had been. Not only that, this is really his first time shopping with a girl other than his family, Nobunaga, or by himself.

But when Haruka tried to use a 10,000 Yen Note (roughly US $100, give or take) in the coin slot, she thought that the machine must be out of order. Naruto explained to her that Gachapon doesn't accept Yen bills, so he took her to the exchange machine to break into pocket change, with his insistence of his Yen bill. Naruto also bought two sacks to hold the capsules.

As they return to the Aki-chan section, Haruka started hunting for the variety of Aki-chan character poses to her collection. Must to her surprise, she got the first capsule: Aki-chan Piano Version. She is pleased to manage to get the rarest on her first try. And she kept going until she has at least one of every capsule, with one extra, including another Aki-chan Piano Version, and with a lot of pocket change to spare. Naruto put the extra capsules into the sacks.

At least, he and Haruka have enjoyed shopping for Gachapon, leaving a few sore losers behind.

(That's the way the luck rolled out.)

That was when they decided to go to the next location where Haruka marked on the updated map.

 **-NUS-**

[Stop № 4 - at'home café]

The at'home café is a nice, well-organized restaurant as Naruto and Haruka were seated to an empty booth.

"Naruto-san, the menu is so cute, look!" she pointed out to the many specially designed brunch and lunch items with cute characters and waitresses wearing different cosplay characters. In this case...

"Haruka, this is what I think it is, right?" Naruto asked.

"That's right," Haruka responded, "It's a maid café, of course. The waitresses here wear such cute outfits. Sometimes, they get to wear cat ears and tails to up their cuteness. Don't you agree?"

After a slight pause, Naruto reluctantly agreed.

Then after a waitresses asking the "master" and "mistress" for their orders, Naruto excused himself to go to the restroom to get his hands washed. Haruka agreed as she, too, wants to the ladies' room to freshen up. They put up a sign on the table, saying that the seat was taken.

Haruka just finished her session first, when one of the employees looked at her with interest. She was taken to a dressing room to make her surprise her "boyfriend".

By the time Naruto finished with his routine, he finds that Haruka left her purse on her chair, nowhere in sight again. {She can't be far,} he thought, {My senses tell me she's not far from here, likely with other people. And now, she's coming towards me.}

And soon enough, the maids arrived, along with Haruka… in a maid's pinkish garb and headpiece, "Umm… These maids from the shop really wanted me to try it on," the dress-up Nogizaka modestly explained.

Naruto looked at Haruka and sees that his friend is absolutely stunning in a servant's uniform. Rich or poor, he still liked Haruka the way she is.

"Please don't stare at me like that," she blushed, "It's embarrassing."

"Whoops! Sorry," the Ayase apologized.

"Come on, come on, boyfriend, don't be afraid to say it to your girlfriend!" one of the waitresses coaxed.

Naruto cleared his throat for a moment and said with an honest approach, "Haruka, you look very cute in it. And you wear it well, too." Haruka felt elated from her friend's praise.

Then the maids decided to take a picture of them together. Naruto and Haruka decided to give up on objecting to the employees that they aren't that close yet. "Right, then. I'm taking a picture," a maid said as she held the camera, "Good! Now, Moé Moé Smile!"

 **-NUS-**

[Later, after finishing their meal]

The twosome had a wonderful time at the Café as they were given the copies of the photos. Now it's time for the main event: going to the final location where the NEW PDS XL was to be sold: GAMERS.

 **-NUS-**

[Stop № 5 - GAMERS]

 **"SOLD OUT"**

Haruka never felt so crushed that her chance was missed since this morning as Dejiko, the current salesgirl, explained why, "This store and the everyplace else have sold out the popular system, nyo."

"Is there a chance that the next batch can be reserved at a later time?" Naruto asked the catty salesgirl.

"Certainly, but they won't be available until at least a week or two, nyo."

Naruto should have realized how fast those elusive portable systems go. But the real problem is that Haruka started to feel faint. He quickly caught her before she fell to the floor.

"Are you alright, Haruka?" Naruto asked, but the Nogizaka tries to regain her composure, but she fainted again. "Definitely not," he murmured. Then when Haruka came out of her spells, the Ayase asked her this one question as he grabbed her dropped purse and Gachapon sacks, "Haruka, don't blame me for this, ya know."

And he carefully lifted his friend up, swept her off her feet, and easily carry her out of the store in style, after excusing himself.

Dejiko, Puchiko, Rabi-en-rose, and the regulars witnessed the scene and they applauded and cheered for the boy who looked like he and Haruka are really a charming couple. As for Haruka, she never felt such joy, being carried by a knight in shining armor.

 **-NUS-**

[At around the 19:00 hours]

Naruto took Haruka to a nearby bench to let them rest as they watched an early summer sunset.

"I'm really hopeless," Haruka felt dismayed, "Not only did I fail to reach the goal, but I have brought you some trouble, Naruto-san. I'm really hopeless; as Hopeless Girl Meg-chan. Naruto-san, you might think that it would've gotten better not to come, if it was going to end up like this."

"That's not true, Haruka," Naruto consoled, "I had a beautiful time coming here, ya know. It was fun coming with you for the weekend. Even if we missed some of our chances, it still was fun coming here."

Haruka wiped the tears off from her hazel eyes as Naruto presented the photos of the time they've spent together, proving that it wasn't really a total loss. Besides, the moments shared together are now their secret kept between themselves.

Even though Haruka is still crying, her tears are really tears of joy as Naruto comforted her in a kind embrace, telling her that everything is going to be alright. That's when they remembered the last time 6 years ago and the time Naruto finally returned home.

But suddenly, Naruto's phone is picking up a message. When he opened his message app, it was Ruko, complaining that she's hungry and wanted crab for dinner(!).

"It's Onee-chan," he explained, "She still hadn't learned how to cook for herself or with Yukari-sensei. And it's getting late."

"That's okay," Haruka said, "Anyway, thank you for coming with me, Naruto-san. I feel so much better. Let's go to the train station."

And as they were going to the station, they passed by a local Gachapon machine. Just for old-time's sake, Haruka and Naruto each put their 300¥ in the slot and turned the dial. What's even more surprising? They have the same Aki-chan ™ _(trademark)_ pose (Aki-chan standing and doing a curtsy). It was a day to remember as they later split the Gachapon extras and then parted ways on their way back home.

§

To be continued...»

* * *

 **Omake**

 _Naruto's Cleaning Duty_

Before Naruto prepares to go for an outing with Haruka, he has cleaning duty: scrubbing and sanitizing the 2nd Year Men's Toilet Room. Of course, it wasn't his first rodeo dealing with bathroom duties in the house and the time spent in the Chakra Islands. It's a revolting development cleaning the "ick" out of the room, but for everybody's health and safety, this is worth it, until the next group of students take their turns.

However, the real problem in his duty was his supervisor…

"Alrighty, Naru-kun, are you up for it?" Of all of the pet peeves running Naruto's life, it had to be Yukari-sensei lewding herself in front of her student at a badly-timed scene. "Let's do it!"

And as the teacher stripped herself from her clothing again as she was watching the original Naruto clean while his doubles deal with the other areas.

[A little later…]

"Ngh… Ooh… Not so rough… Slower, slower, please! Aah! That's the spot! Aah…" ¹ Yukari moaned in ecstasy, but Naruto and his doubles decided to lay down the law and "kicked out" the stark naked teacher out of the room.

"Sensei, you're going to have to stay out until you learn to behave yourself," the original said, "It's for your own good, ya know!"

"Oh, come on! Naru-kun!" the teacher begged like a whiny child, with her undergarments showing in front of the limited crowd, "Naru-kun! Let me in! Let me in! I wanna show you something good as a reward afterwards!"

"Like I know about [that]? Not on your life, Sensei!" Naruto's doubles apathetically said as one stood watch as the rest of the doubles finished cleaning up and then dispelled themselves with a poof.

The original Naruto fixed his uniform and opened the door as he sees Yukari in an predicament, embarrassing herself in front of the students.

"Take what it belongs to you, Sensei, and don't do that again," the Ayase said as he left the toilet room, leaving the other students baffled, and Yukari hiding her ballistics and hid in the restroom, putting her clothes back on.

Naruto is still disgusted with his teacher not keeping her mind on the job, and that leads him to having a headache. But at least, Yukari-sensei was put in her place by the principal.

¹ - _Made you look! You're expecting a lemon moment?_

* * *

 **Side Story**

 _Naruto's Chronicles in The Chakra Islands Part 1_

 **-NUS:G-**

Where to begin the tale of how Naruto Ayase got himself into this mess a few years prior...  
It all started when Naruto had recently graduated Elementary School and is planning to go to his neighboring Junior High school where Nobunaga is going to.  
(Haruka goes to a different school, an All-Girls Junior High academy, to be specific. But she and Naruto still write to each other from time to time for some friendly advice or just to say hello.)  
Naruto and his family were just returning back home from a cruise trip to Hawaii to celebrate the young Ayase's coming of age ceremony, when all of the sudden, a group of raiders (or rather, ninja) surprised the ship, the crew, and its passengers by means of using the fog (using tactical, man made technology and dry ice) to hold everyone hostage. The leader of the crew demanded that one particular passenger is to be coming with them, willingly or not, to the Chakra Islands and that nobody gets hurt... or worse. One by one, they searched every living person (including the pets) for their target until they found Naruto, after he knocked out a few men before finding himself getting a bit careless and was tied down with some special rope.  
Then the leader of the group, one "Iruka" by name, looked at Naruto with a sense of slight elation as he said, "I finally caught you, Naruto Uzumaki. The Head Leader would love to see his son after being away for 12 years, isn't that right, boys?"  
The ninja group agreed in crosstalk.  
"What's more that this kid hasn't even seen his real mother and sister, either. For years, that no good student of mine have been playing hooky from being enrolled into our... loving academy," Iruka chuckled for a moment and then asked, "Now how about it, Naruto? Care to explain your lack of education in front of your new friends and join with me for some of our local ramen?"  
The accomplices laughed at the bound Ayase family, thinking that they're worthless, and for Naruto being the number-one dunce.  
Ruko threaten to smash her opponents with her skills of strength and sword, despite being unable to move her arms, but Naruto forbade her to, then calmly said the 'teacher,' "My friend, nobody has a better opinion about you and your country than I do, ya know. And I think that you, your ninja, and your leader are nothing but slimy, contemptible, and hypocritical brood of sewer rats! Your leader so happened to have left me nearly for dead when I was just a baby, for reasons I don't quite know about. And I, for once, have never applied to your school for obvious reasons from the moment we first meet." And Naruto spat into Iruka's eye, just for that slight, "So help me, ya know, I'll see you being put behind bars!"

 ***Ka-bong!***

Iruka wasn't really impressed by the Ayase's insults and ordered, "Gag him." And his associates covered Naruto's mouth with a piece of cloth and yelled to the boy with a big headed effect, "Cut your stupid tricks! This is my last warning! You're to going back to your real family and become a real student, you fool!"  
And he and his ninja team shanghai'd and dragged Naruto onto their boats and rowed away from the scene, leaving Ruko and her parents very mad at the kidnappers who dared to take their precious family member away. So they called the authorities to find a way to rescue Naruto from their captors. The SDF - JAG (Judge Advocate General) unit warned the family that Naruto will have to survive as long as he can until they can straighten their extraterritorial island archipelago policies in order to get him out of there... alive. Thankfully, there are some trusted undercover agents who are there, watching the district for the lost boy and to help him with his education.  
Ruko isn't really a religious young woman, but she is praying for her dear little brother's safety.

[Some time later...]

Naruto woke up and found himself practically naked in a dark prison cell, with his arms bound to the ceiling by means of a rope and is seeing a folded set of orange garbs (orange pants, white T-shirt, and an orange jacket) on the bed. He had seen some prison cells from watching TV and during one of his class school trips, but never had he end up being in one. {That Iruka character was a creepshow, thinking that he's one of my school teachers (which, of course, he isn't)}, Naruto thought to himself, {But the real question is what are those addle-pated bullies want with me, especially with that hypocritical, yellow swine for a leader, that ill-natured woman, and her flap-mouthed, wagtailed daughter that simply didn't want me in the first place?}

And as he managed to cut loose of his bindings and put on the shirt and pants (but not the jacket) and secretly removed the hidden debilitating seals inside, and then lie down on an uncomfortable prison bed, Naruto hears the sound of footsteps coming towards the hall, awaiting to meet their prisoner…

 **-NUS:G-**

Meanwhile, the Sannin (a trio of ambassadors; one Jiraiya of the Toad Clan, one Tsunade Senju of the Slug Clan, and one Orochimaru of the Snake Clan) are having a consultation about what to do with Naruto and their plans to use him to get him have that "miracle" - a sealed, sheathed, long odachi blade, dubbed "Zantetsuken": a blade said to have been made from Uzuin (a type of metal alloy believed to be stronger than solid variety of steel if the user wills it to) and was forged by the people of Uzushio many years ago. However, the blade is deadly if used by the wrong hands of the wielder, so the Uzushio people concocted a special seal infused into the sheath (with is also as strong as the sword) with a message written on the scroll hidden in a different seal, and is read,

 _Whosoever breaks the seal and pulls this sword out the sheath,_  
 _is rightwise a warrior, protecting the innocent_  
 _This person is to be called the true ninja._

The message was signed by Mito Uzumaki-Senju, Tsunade's late grandmother.  
However, for many years, the people in the region tried to remove the blade with all their strength, but none can move the weapon nor were able to stir it because of its strange sense of heaviness weighing down with the strength of 10 of the (average) strongest men; in other words, it weighs about the same as lifting a half-ton pickup truck and an anvil combined. And not even Minato Namikaze (the leader of the Chakra Islands) nor Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze (Minato's wife and Mirin's mother) were able pull the feat, wondering to themselves whatever did they go wrong... without having a proper answer to their dilemma.  
So, their "miracle" hadn't worked yet. And the Sannin hoped against all hope that when Mirin (not Naruto) is the one willing to wield this weapon, and they and a few people managed to put the enchanted blade into the vault, where in the meantime, the marvelous sword was awaiting its true owner…

(To be continued...)

* * *

A/N: Some notes you want to know.

Naruto and Haruka have been friends after he decided to have a little "revenge" on Nobunaga for going overboard and overly fanatical about the first issue of Innocent Smile. They visit each other in the crosspaths before and after school, but have lost contact during the Junior High years, but they kept writing letters via snail mail, because the Chakra Islands don't have cellphones because of their council's foolish vow not to use them; heck, they don't even use telephones or the internet at all. Just old-fashioned paperwork and low-tech tools like they're stuck in the medieval era, that is the early 20th Century.

Also, I decided to add a little twist to Shiina's personality, make her a relative of the Uzumakis, despite their name change. Her family in the clan hadn't really died out of power, just unlawfully exiled to Hokkaido by the people from the Chakra Islands because of fear and paranoia.

As for the side story, the Chakra Islands are about the size of the Hawaiian and the Aleutian Islands combined. Konoha is the central location where the most prominent leader out of the whole region to become the Kage. The land, however, was torn by civil war because of Danzo Shimura and the Councilmen of the Fire Region undermining their mayor and Kage's authority; creating disorder, unfair taxes, oppression, tyranny, and severe injustice to their people after being annexed from Japan. Danzo Shimura is still an elder councilman that should've been dragged out to the fields and get shot for his tyrannical ways, but his opponents couldn't find a way to kick him out and being sentenced to jail because of the their scatterbrained law books that have unfair laws that should been repealed for the outrageousness they've passed. It was so bad, most of the Uzumakis were exiled and expelled from the Chakra Islands, but without letting them take their prized possessions, leaving the Island vulnerable to poor market values.

As for the current Kage, Minato Namikazé, along with his wife Kushina, when they were planning to become parents for the first time, they not only wanted to have girls to accept Mito Uzumaki-Senju's legacy, but to want to have Kushina's family to return home from their 50+ year exile by that Danzo-rat's foolish decision. However, when they are becoming parents of fraternal twins, a boy and girl, Minato decided that he doesn't want any boys, because of the prophecy leaked by Jiraiya, overhearing the oldest Sage of the Toad Clan's words, he swore to not to let their boy receive the blessing of the Uzumaki's legacy. And Kushina willingly agreed, so after the babies were born, they sent one of their soldiers to get rid of Naruto, by any means necessary. However, the soldier, one Rin Nohara, couldn't bare to kill baby Naruto or to leave him to perish in the cruel world, so she took care of the baby for a while as she took a secret boat ride to Japan's mainland and left him to the Ayase family, who then adopted the baby boy as one of their own. And little Ruko is very joyful for having a baby brother. As for Rin Nohara, she, too, wanted to get lost from the Chakra Islands for their mistreatment on her and Naruto as she decided to take a journey to find herself a new living, possibly never to be seen again.

And you probably noticed why Iruka Umino is acting very strange. It's simply because in this version, Iruka is an overzealous and blindly loyal Chunin who wanted to give his students of the militia a disciplinary education. He thinks that Naruto was one of his ornery truant students (in a pig's eye). So he vows to punish Naruto for being a delinquent.

You probably notice why Orochimaru is in Konoha? This version of him, didn't wish to join Danzo's ANBU system and is still loyal to the Island Nation's allegiance. He may be rather cynical and a little loopy when it comes to his experiments (humans - preferably with the prisoners that deserve to be on the donor list, that is a far better deserving of death than the supreme penalty; and animals - as long as they are not inbred and are expandable in numbers.) However, he sided with his former classmates and comrades, thinking that Naruto doesn't get what was coming to him. He, Jiraiya, and Tsunade also tried to remove the blade, but the weight was too much for them; proving that they are obviously less than worthy to the legacy.

As for meeting Naruto's biological family, we'll just have to wait and see.

And the heat will be on!

\- blukmage19


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _It's the End…_

 _Not Yet, It's Not!_

* * *

§

[The streets en route to the Nogizaka Residence]

Naruto is walking towards to where Haruka is living, across from town. He was carrying a sack with a new piggy bank from Akihabara that isn't made to be broken so easily, to replace her last piggy bank and his backpack for his homework and utensils. He also brought some flowers from the floral shop nearby; some yellow roses and a few alstroemerias, as a token of friendship and happiness.

Naruto knows that Haruka doesn't live in the average Japanese suburban home like the neighbors across the street. It was supposed to be a study session between friends for the upcoming summer exams.

 _-Flashback-_

 _[A day earlier - in Hakujoh Academy, Music Room]_

 _It was a half-day on Saturday when Naruto finished watching Haruka performing on the school piano in the music room, without making any unnecessary interruptions._

 _A group of female students were flocking and fawning over their starlet and her splendid playing. It's almost like it was an all-girls' universe where men are excluded in the crowd._

 _When he tried to get Haruka's attention, the girls gave him dirty looks, trying to intimidate him away from their idol starlet, but Naruto gave the other girls a look that looked more fiendish (with the look of a giant 9-tailed fox behind him), asking them in a prominent manner, "You got a problem, ladies?"_

 _The girls (excluding Haruka, who is clueless about what's going on) looked like they've been weighed down, unable to move their limbs from the leering of their arch-nemesis._

 _:: What's with that guy‽::_

 _::He didn't even address Haruka-sama with an honorific!::_

 _::Why do I see a dangerous beast behind Ayase-san?::_

" _Ah, Naruto-san, sorry for keeping you," Haruka said as she got out of the piano seat and greeted him._

 _The fangirls were in a mix of emotions about why is their Nuit Étoilée hanging around with that gorilla (that is Naruto)._

 _Haruka then said to the fanclub, "Excuse me, everyone, but this person has arrived for an appointment that I made with. So that will be all for now."_

 _The other girls were disappointed that the Nogizaka had to dismissed them for the day. However, while they were saying their farewells to Naruto, he senses ill-begottening thoughts from what they're planning to do - particularly about sinister intentions on killing him._

 _But Naruto warned, "If you're planning to do something regretful towards me, you better think again, ya know. You weren't the first person who dared to cross that yellow line."_

(One time, one of the students in the academy, who is holding a festering grudge with fists clenching in rage, dared to ambush Naruto in the after school hours, with a group of ne'er-do-wells surrounding him, only to end up being sent to the hospital by Naruto's defensive skills after they struck first.)

 _The girls have left the room, still wanting to pick Naruto as their target._

 _And after the room was cleared out Naruto asked Haruka what does she needed his attention for, and she replied, "Naruto-san, how are you doing in your studying for the exams?"_

" _Well, I probably need a once-over, just to be sure," Naruto answered, "How about you?"_

 _Haruka is surprisingly speechless on about what to say about her homework and her younger sister's studies. So she proposed, "Say, why don't we study together on a Sunday? You see, it would be more enjoyable if you studied with someone."_

 _At first, Naruto has doubts about going to a girl's house for a study session and with Haruka's lacking of common sense_ (particularly the point), _but when putting his friendship with her on the line, he has to take that risk._

 _So he accepted the offer._

* * *

Naruto was humming "Heartbreak Town", " _Just carry me, carry me down, carry me down into Heartbreak Town,_ " when he reads a map drawn by Haruka that looks like it isn't guiding him to where her house is at, including a drawing of a sabertooth Bearcat on the bottom-right corner of the "map". At least her writing is neat, Naruto thought as he was walking over to his destination from what he knew, like the back of his hand.

 _(Ever since Naruto grew up in the neighborhood, he knows just about every house in the vicinity, but sometimes people come and go from their homes. And sometimes, progress happens when the construction crews tear down the old, rundown, and ugly establishments and build newer, up-to-code living quarters, so that the people can make a house a home. One of the places that never changed that much is the Nogizaka residence.)_

As Naruto was walking by, he bumped into a younger Junior High student - a brunette with twin-tails and sunflower hairpieces, wearing a brown short overdress (partially showing her panties from a certain viewpoint), a hooded shirt, OTK socks, and shoes - passed by and asked him, "Excuse me, Onii-san (brother), are you lost?"

"Not really," he said, but the girl noticed the map he was holding, and noticed that the paper looked like it was drawn by a child's illustration.

"I'm surprised that you made it that far, Onii-san," she exclaimed as she ripped the badly drawn map apart and pulled out her notepad from her hood and a pencil as she sketched out the location where the residence is at.

Naruto thanked the girl for showing him the way.

"No problem," she said, "Anyway, Onii-san, see you later!" And the brunette left.

Much to Naruto's dismay, he didn't get a chance to introduce himself to the girl who looked somewhat like Haruka, if only more boisterous than her.

- **NUS** -

[At the Entrance Gates of the Nogizaka Residence]

By the time Naruto arrived, he realizes that the residence is much, much larger than he nor the other students anticipated. The road inside is a long section of paths. The place has a pond, a small, yet tall mountain with a waterfall, lots of forestry and a few palm trees, and finally the large, luxurious mansion itself.

As he was steeling himself with confidence as he was about to use the intercom to let Haruka know of his arrival, a maid with silverish hair fashioned like a real maid's style and wears eyeglasses exited from the auxiliary door and said, "Naruto Ayase, I presume. Haruka-ojosama has told me all about you." And she gave an honorable bow.

"Thank you," Naruto said as he bowed in response. He has this peculiarity with this maid that have crossed his mind as she guided him into the mansion pathways.

Along the way, he curiously asked, "Don't I know you from somewhere? Ya know, something about a female character in a bear suit in one of those advertisements from a magazine that looked a lot like you?"

The maid remained silent for a moment and said, "That's a secret. Don't tell anybody about it."

Naruto decided to drop the subject as he was guided through the forested maze.

{At least all the travelling through the Chakra Islands have paid off on my walking.}

[Inside the mansion]

The maid then takes Naruto through the spacious hall to Haruka's room. The trek from the main entrance takes about 10 minutes on foot to make it to the destination; anybody who is likely out of shape would get tired just to get there and collapse on the floor within 30 minutes, but to Naruto and his stamina, this is a piece of cake.

Haruka opened her bedroom door and greeted, "Welcome, Naruto-san!" And as she looked at Naruto, she curiously asked the Ayase if something's the matter and he replied, "Oh, it's just that your front yard reminds of when I'm back in the old place where I used to live, next to a forested area. Now I know what it's like being in your shoes on going to the academy and back again, ya know."

Then the maid said, "Haruka-sama, I will go and prepare some tea for you and your guest."

"Yes," Haruka complied, but almost forgot to introduce her maid, "Naruto-san, this is Hazuki Sakurazaka-san. She's the head maid in charge of taking care of the family."

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Hazuki," the head maid introduced herself and she bowed to Naruto and then to Haruka before she left.

Then Haruka invited Naruto inside her bedroom, which is actually the size of the den in his house, including an upstairs area.

"Pardon the intrusion," he kindly said as he entered the room.

The room looked ordinary, according to Haruka's liking, and he noticed something has been left out. "Say, Haruka, don't you have things like an inspirational animé poster or something for decoration?"

"Yeah," she dismally replied, "I'd like to put one in my room, but unfortunately, I couldn't. You see, my hobby is kept a secret, even from my family and the servants. You see, my parents are rather strict, especially my dear father, for he would say that anything that is uneducational would be a detriment. If he found out my secret, he will get absolutely mad and will likely toss everything out."

"I don't blame you," Naruto remarked for even he has a few trinkets of his own and put them away in storage to keep him from getting distracted, but then he suddenly remembered that he was indebted to the current patriarch of the Nogizaka family (one Gentō, by name) after he, his HELLHOUND army, and the SDF JAG unit managed to rescue him a few years back, including his induction to Hakujoh Academy.

Naruto then gave Haruka the new piggy bank and the flowers and she is grateful to her friend for the gifts. She knows that her last piggy bank isn't going to be the same as the one she once had. Naruto explained that this type of piggy bank opens at the snout and has a hard plastic body that can handle almost any impact. The flowers he gave were symbols of friendship and happiness towards the recipient, to which Haruka hugs Naruto for his generosity and kindness.

"Alright, let's have our study session then," Haruka suggested as she and Naruto brought their homework onto her table.

As they were seated in separate chairs, Haruka explained, "My family isn't here right now, so we should be able to concentrate."

"That's what I'm worried about, ya know," Naruto slightly complained, "Sure, my parents are away a lot on their business trips, so I have to deal with Ruko-neechan and Yukari-sensei. But this, Haruka... ya know…?"

And he felt like his heart is beating loudly as if something is not right in this picture.

They are practically alone together - two hormone-raging teenagers, about one toke over the lines of morality.

 **-NUS-**

Naruto and Haruka are currently sharing their notes as the latter recited the sentence in grammar, "«The cloth that is hung over the fence for bleaching, catches the morning dew at the village of Tamagawa.»"

While she helped checking with study partner's writing, Naruto is stuck in a conundrum: dealing with the homework notes or gawking at Haruka's beauty (which is something that he would rather not do). That's when one of his erasers got accidentally dropped to the floor and as he tried to pick it up, Haruka's hand was also getting to the eraser and both ended up touching each other's fingers instead.

Then they looked into each other's eyes as if the spark of romance is beginning to start, but then Naruto senses some company waiting near the door.

Haruka habitually hid her face in her book in startled fright and Naruto looked at the company that (clumsily) entered the room, as if they're spying on the Senior High students.

And sure enough, it was Hazuki that opened the door to let the brunette and another maid stumble in, after they were feeling rather naughty.

"Mika! Nanami-san!" Haruka exclaimed as Naruto sheepishly waved at the younger brunette.

"Onii-san, hello again!" the brunette now named Mika awkwardly said.

"Naruto-san, you know about Mika?" Haruka curiously asked.

"" _Naruto-san_ "?" Mika nosingly questioned her older sister's relationship with a guy as Haruka got all flustered and steamed up.

"Just recently," he explained, "Is she related to you, Haruka?"

"" _Haruka_ "?" Mika being nosey with Naruto's relationship as he slightly blushed (a little less than his classmate), trying not to get too emotional. {Meddlesome little so-and-so!}

And Mika got back up on her feet and introduced herself, "I'm Haruka's little sister, Mika Nogizaka. I'm 14, 2nd Year Junior High. My hobbies are playing the violin, the sport of squash, and feeding wild boars. It's nice to see you again, Onii-san."

The other maid (with long, ebony hair, mallet-like hairpieces, wearing sunglasses, and has a sweet personality) introduced herself, "Pleased to meet you, I am the 3rd ranked maid of the Nogizaka Family, Nanami Nanashiro. We're terribly sorry for intruding on the two of you, just when the atmosphere was getting good..."

"How-how long were you watching‽" Haruka shyingly exclaimed.

Mika chuckled and said, "It's the first time you've brought a boy home, so Nanami-san and I figured we would at least have a peek."

"It's a sign of love, isn't it?" Nanami suggested.

Haruka felt ashamed from what her maid and sister claimed as she tried to deny, "Th-that's not true! Naruto-san and I are just…"

"Yeah... that's right, ya know," Naruto stutteringly agreed, "We've been friends for a long time, so we…"

Then Mika gestured to Naruto to come outside of the room for a moment. And he asked Haruka, "Would you excuse me for a minute? Your little sister wants to have a little briefing with me."

And Haruka obliged as Naruto, Mika, and the maids excused themselves.

[In the Hallway]

As Nanami closed the doors, Mika (facing the brightly lighted windows) started to get a little frisky as a pussycat and curiously asked, "So, did you have fun having a date with my big sister in Akihabara last week?"

"Just...what are you getting at, ya know?" Naruto neutrally questioned.

"Hmhmhm… Oh, don't be so coy about it, I've already seen the proof: Onee-chan being busy making a special guide map and was feeling very cheerful in the new set of clothes she was wearing for her little date with you." And Naruto learned why his friend was preparing for her day of her first official date last week. Mika looked at the Ayase in the eye and pressed, "Therefore, Onii-san, you did know of Onee-chan's secret, did you?"

"Secret?" Naruto questioned, pretending to be clueless (as if it wasn't the first time he'd ever been confronted like that), "What secret?"

Mika sported a tick-mark, showing her frustration at not getting anywhere in her interrogation, and tried to use the "Tickle Torture" to make Naruto open his mouth, with Nanami holding his arms as she stated, "There's no point in denying the truth from me! Out with it! Take that!"

But something is amiss! Mika was surprised that she got Nanami instead of Naruto, making the maid laugh uncontrollably. Before the girls knew it, two Narutos (the original and one double) surprised them from behind and did a "Tickle Torture" of his own, without touching them inappropriately, and the original said, "You got to do better than that in order to catch me, onna-chan, because I'm not called the "Prankster King" for nothing, ya know."

And Mika and Nanami continued laughing from being tickled in the most sensitive spots, until they gave up and doubled over from catching their breath.

After a moment of resting, Naruto demanded, "Now, out with it. What is it that you really want?"

Mika requested to Naruto, "Please." She is begging the Ayase truthfully about why she went so far to do such a thing as getting him into trouble, "Onii-san, I want you to honestly tell me. Do you know about Onee-chan's real hobby?"

He drew a sigh of relief and replied, "I did, even though it was coincidental when I found out, ya know. I, too, have a fascination for the manga and animé community."

"Really‽" Mika exclaimed and the Narutos helped both the younger Nogizaka and the maid up on their feet and the double dispelled itself, "That's what I thought."

"What I don't understand, Mika-san, is how did you know about Haruka's hobby, ya know? She thought that she kept it a secret from you and everybody else."

The younger Nogizaka confessed, "Well, Onee-chan did make an effort to hide it, but all of that kinda fell apart. Even our mother and our maids knew about Onee-chan's hobby. But the only person that doesn't know about it, is likely our dear daddy."

Nanami nodded in agreement.

{Really, now?} Naruto thought, {That's Haruka for you.}

Then Mika puts her hands together and made a promise, "I'm need to ask you for an honest favor. Please don't abandon Onee-chan."

Naruto patted the younger sister's head and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll take good care of your big sister. Haruka's a good friend to me. Even with her traits and her hobby, Haruka's still true to herself. And that's what I like about her, even after all the years that I've known her. Believe it."

Mika is happy for Naruto and his confidence, "Uh-huh. Onii-san, you're really the right person I thought you were!" And she hugged the Ayase in a sisterly manner.

That was when Haruka opened the door and wondered what was going on, "Are you two done with your briefing yet?"

Naruto explained that her little sister is a rather precocious type of girl and a nice kid sister as Mika kept embracing him. He doesn't want to do such a misdeed towards Haruka.

And while Hazuki is surprised at the unusual scene (while keeping her poise), the older Nogizaka kindly chided at her younger sister, "Now, Mika, you shouldn't fawn over Naruto-san like that. Naruto-san would get bothered."

And Naruto doesn't blame Haruka for being clueless about the "semi-type of cheating" situation, as Mika pointed out that her older sister is a bit hard to handle when it comes to her feelings. But she and the maids hoped for the best for Naruto to take good care of Haruka.

{Okay…} Naruto thought with a sweatdrop, {Remind me not to make Haruka unnecessarily angry. As for Mika, I'm pretty certain that she'll grow up to become a nice lady in her own way… I hope.}

As for Haruka, she is hopelessly left in the dark about what just happened.

Later, after everything is said and done with their homework, Naruto says that he has to get back home for dinner and "have to go feed the dogs", that are Ruko-neechan and Yukari-sensei.

 _(They still couldn't cook for themselves and they don't like eating frequent take-outs all that much, compared to Naruto's cooking.)_

At first, Haruka was thinking about giving Naruto some dog food, thinking that he has a puppy to tend back at his house, but the Ayase explained that his sister and his boarding tenant were practically starving, so he has to go back home.

But before he left, he told the sisters and maids to not to tell anybody about his particular hobby as he stepped outside and "disappeared" like a ninja as Hazuki and Nanami watched how the speedy Naruto used the trees for leverage for his movements as he left the residence.

 _(From then on, Naruto is invited to the Nogizaka residence to help with their homework, some brother-to-sister advice for Mika, and have a little fun afterwards. Maybe he ought to invite Haruka to come over to his residence, sometimes...)_

 **-NUS-**

[The next few days later, in Hakujoh Academy]

Naruto finally felt a sigh of relief after going through a long session of the Summer Exams. "Finally, ya know!" he exclaimed to himself, "I thought this torture would never be over…"

Haruka came by to his desk and asked, "Ah, Naruto-san, how was the test?"

"Well, thanks to your assistance, I think I made it very far," he answered, "What about you?"

"I've done it very well, too, Naruto-san," she replied, "I'm glad that we have helped ourselves with our notes."

As the pair walked along the halls, carrying their school cases, (along with many eyes leering at them with envy,) Haruka asked her friend, "Naruto-san, have you any plans for summer vacation?"

"Well, there are many things I probably need to schedule, ya know," the Ayase replied.

"Ah! Is-is that so?" Haruka briefly stammered from her blushing, "Any-anyways, umm… would it be fine if we can come to NatsuComi?"

"NatsuComi? I've heard of the events from time to time."

Naruto and Haruka knew of the event that comes to an exchange center in Odaiba, but they never went there in person.

Then Haruka explained, "I got interested in going there, and looking at the latest catalog, I really wanted to see it. But, it's not really fun to go by myself."

"I agree," Naruto concurrently said, "NatsuComi is going to be a crowded place full of people - newcomers, fanatics, and possibly others from around the world are likely to flock over in the Exchange Center. However, I'll see if I can pull a few strings to let us come a whole lot sooner, ya know. And of course, I'll be there to escort you, ojosama _(milady)_."

Haruka felt glad that Naruto is willing to help her in their upcoming trip for the event during vacation.

"Oh, and there's something else," Haruka mentioned, "I brought the catalog with me, so perhaps, we can later look at it together."

"That'll be a sight to see," Naruto agreed.

However while they were busy chatting, two different students were goofing off as they bumped into Haruka, knocking of her case from her hands, spilling her contents as it revealed the NatsuComi magazine inside. Naruto helped Haruka back on her feet as he thought fast on what to do with the situation.

::Play along, Haruka, I'll handle it,:: Naruto whispered to the tearing classmate, "Trust me."

And when the students saw the particular magazine and got suspicious at Haruka and Naruto being an otaku pair, the Ayase "acted" as he neatly put Haruka's belongings back into her pack, "Silly me, I must've dropped the magazine earlier, I forgot to thank Nogizaka-san for that."

Haruka didn't quite understand why is Naruto taking the fall as the other classmates began to jeer at him and not at Haruka. She begins to feel guilty as she was returned of her case and said to Naruto, "I'm sorry, Naruto-san. It's the end. I don't want to hurt you anymore..." And she ran away, utterly depressed, as if her secret was found out (of which it wasn't).

Naruto never felt this sorry; not like what his former family had unfairly treated him, but for himself to become the scapegoat of a different sort.

Maybe, he ought to make things up for Haruka, after that…

 **-Naruto's Secret-**

[A Few Days Later...]

Yukari-sensei greeted to her students, "Everyone! A fine good morning to you!" But then she notices that Haruka (seated near the window, 2nd from the back row) is absent today for the last 3 days.

This worries Naruto as he tried to call the Nogizaka residence to see if Haruka is alright and managed to bounce back, but somehow, only her maids and Mika told him to not to call, because they gave excuses like Haruka is still sick and couldn't come around and let the germs spread around to reply on the other line.

{I've been wondering that myself,} Naruto thought, {I've never thought that Haruka understood why I had to cover for her hobby and most of the classmates doesn't really comprehend why we like animé so much, ya know.}

And why not? After Naruto finished writing notes for Haruka for her to catch up, the other students started spreading rumors that he had corrupted Haruka into the horrific otaku life and wouldn't dare come near him with whatever length of pole they have. They even threaten Naruto with letters stuffed into his foot locker, saying things like:

"Die, otaku!"

"Stay away from Nogizaka-san, you bastard!"

"Schmuck!"

"Disgusting!"

"No more Mister Nice Guy!" Naruto has had enough of this nonsense as he crumple the threatening notes, "When will those idiots ever learn, ya know."

Just then, a narcissistic student came by and made his presence known and said, "Hi there, Ayase-kun."

"What do you want, "Owari-san"?" Naruto complainingly asked.

"That's Takeshi Ogasawara-sempai to you, kohai," the show-off retorted angrily after losing his cool for a moment, "Ahem! Excuse my little outburst, but you must be the boorish otaku fellow who must have wrapped himself around Haruka-chan like a parasitic bug."

"And what is that you're trying to say?" Naruto apathetically questioned.

"It means "stop hanging around Haruka-chan", dickweed," Takeshi warned as he is making his point, "It's a sin for her to have a controversial, skirt-chasing, pretty girl gazing, perverted otaku like you to be following her around, you get me?"

Naruto isn't wanting any more flak from his accuser's ranting and remarked, "Is that all? Because I'm going home, enough said. Goodbye."

And just as Naruto was leave, a small possé (about 5 male students, eager to pick a fight) was blocking his way out of the locker room as Takeshi said next, "Don't think that you can run from us, Ayase-san! Your kind should stay out on the 'net, otaku!"

Naruto sighs again and casually said to the ringleader, "You do realize that my back is facing the sun, ya know¹. If you dare to come at me, you'll likely end up on the stretcher and your parents are going to be upset at yourselves for starting the wrong kind of fighting." And the image of the ferocious 9-tail fox begin to shimmer as the sun hits Naruto as he stated, "And for the record, don't ever call Haruka like she's your friend, you lowlife." And Naruto uses his ninjutsu, **[Ninja Art: Solar Flare]** at Takeshi and his possé, blinding them temporarily with a radiant flash of light, easily letting Naruto escape without any unnecessary conflict.

"Get him! I want that jackass found!" Takeshi ordered as he and possé searched the school for their culprit, not realizing that Naruto was already on the roof, overlooking the city as he knows that some people don't ever learn from their mistakes, especially the very stupid mistakes.

"Everybody just seemed to be acting like this. Is being an Akiba addict really has to be so wrong? I know I'm not an overly huge fanatic, I just like going there. And Haruka is Haruka, after all, ya know. I just gotta get home and make something to make her feel better."

And he shunshins out of the school to get back home before anybody notices.

* * *

¹ - The entrance to the 2nd Year entryway is facing north, in the beginning of Summer (where the location in the Northern Hemisphere has more sunlight hours before sunset). Naruto uses that position, in the After School hours, to his advantage.

* * *

 **-NUS-**

[Later into the night]

Naruto has his homework notes and a mini scroll containing a piping hot homemade Minestrone soup for the shut-in Haruka.

As he arrived to the Nogizaka residence and was about to ring the doorbell from the intercom, when Mika, dressed in her black uniform, breaks from the auxiliary door and demanded, "Onii-san! What did you do to Onee-chan‽ She hasn't had a morsel in 3 whole days and has stuck in her bedroom the entire time! I'm surprised that our parents hadn't caught wind of this!"

"That's what's been happening to her all that time?" Naruto exclaimed.

"I've never seen Onee-chan this depressed," Mika dismayingly said before thinking up some outrageous ideas, "Could it be that you forced her into questionable things romantic? Like, perhaps a nurse, a bunny girl, or being all-nude with nothing but an apron on‽"

"Absolutely not, Mika!" Naruto scolded as the younger Nogizaka stopped thinking of that adult idea, "I've been trying to call your house for a while, but you and your maids kept on making silly-kid excuses about Haruka being sick, ya know! I just wanted to know if she's okay."

Then Nanami and Hazuki appeared and the 3rd ranked maid _(Nanami)_ sternly stated to Naruto, "Our mission is to protect the Nogizaka family."

"If it was the said person that took away Haruka-sama's happiness away, then we will let anyone pass and make one step inside, and that means you, Ayase-san," Hazuki added.

Naruto took the honest and diplomatic approach and told the truth, "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Could it be that Onee-chan's secret has been found out?" Mika asked with her maid's focused their attention on Naruto.

"No, it's more like I took the fall for her, and she must've felt ashamed for me being bullied and thought her secret was found out by everyone," he said.

"No wonder," Mika softly exclaimed, "I thought something wasn't quite right." She explained to Naruto on the way inside the residence that it had happened before in her last Senior High school (an all-girls' academy to be specific) when some person intentionally revealed Haruka of her secretive hobby, the school utterly shamed her for being an otaku of the animation industries, so her father transferred her to a different school district, that is the Hakujoh Academy.

Naruto pieced together when he mentioned that it coincidentally happened as he recently have returned from his 3-year exiling ordeal from the Chakra Islands when he found her at the place they've first met before.

 **-NUS-**

[Inside the mansion, near Haruka's room]

Naruto and the women arrived outside of Haruka's room trying to get the eldest sister to come out. Mika tried the approach by bluffing her sister by pretending that she'll take Naruto away on a date and eat some cake, too. That only made Haruka not want to come out.

 _(Of course, Mika and the maids can't help but made a rather one-off thought about Naruto being somewhat a bit of a lady killer.)_

Hazuki is also worried about her mistress's health so she tried to use her prized weapon: a chainsaw, to bust down the double doors, but Naruto strongly objected to that idea, because he senses that Haruka is closest to the doors, and the chainsaw would only end up in an ugly result.

So the Ayase approached the double doors and said, "Say, Haruka? Don't worry about the trouble with the catalog, ya know. I was able to discourage everyone from thinking that it's your magazine and convinced them that it was mine."

That's when the half-starved Haruka (who seemed to have lost a bit of weight from her "fasting" and is wearing her négligée and panties) opening the doors and worryingly exclaimed with rapid speed of her mouth, "But, Naruto-san, this isn't right! That is what was bothering me!"

"Huh? But why is that?" Naruto curiously asked.

The depressed Haruka explained, "It's because people will look at you differently, Naruto-san."

"You don't have to worry about, ya know. And besides, Haruka, I'm protecting your secret after all."

"But...but you don't understand the whole story," Haruka sniffled from her sobbing and was about to explain her troubles when she collapsed from hunger. While Mika worries over her big sister, the maids and Naruto realized that all the crying and confining herself on the bed, made Haruka feel very weak. So he unseals his scroll containing the minestrone soup and some clean utensils. Hazuki brought out a futon and a takamakura _(headrest)_ to help Haruka rest in her bedroom floor and to help regain her strength.

Naruto helped feed Haruka with some of the soup broth before giving her the thick portions as he sat by her. He explained to her that even he has his share of hardships far worse than peculiar hobbies - before, during, and after his adventures in the Chakra Islands, but there were plenty of friends - real friends - that stood by him, through thick and thin, and that their real friendship is thicker than blood.

 _(And he reminded of his friends that were good to him, especially his baby sister, which he hasn't been able to see in a long time.)_

After Haruka was given a sip of water from one of the kitchen's long-spouted kettles, she realized that although she didn't want Naruto to experience the same way she did, after her so-called friends abandoned her because of her particular hobby. To this day, Haruka is afraid to let others know about her hobby after having that traumatic incident.

Then, while Naruto looked away for a moment to let the maids undressed Haruka completely to give her a sponge bath (from not having a proper washing), she regained some of her strength and worryingly said to Naruto, "If everyone thinks that the NatsuComi catalog is yours, they will treat you differently like you're something else and will walk away from you. I didn't want that to happen to you like that again, Naruto-san."

When the maids told Naruto that he can look again, he sees Haruka in a different négligée and clean panties _(her preferred style of summer nightwear)_ , he said to her, "If your friends have left you because of what you like, then they aren't your real friends at all, ya know. I'll be alright."

"But... abandonment is a terrible fate," Haruka concerningly said, "It was unbearable for me, I don't even have the will to face it. I didn't want to be alone. I am scared to be alone. To be alone...to be like that... everyone must hate being that way!" And she started crying again.

But then Naruto moved closer to Haruka and said to her, "To tell you the truth, I've been here, too, ya know. Would you hate me if I had Akiba-type interests and leave me, too?"

"Of-of course, not!" Haruka adamantly replied, "I would never do that to you or anybody else!"

"In that case, at the very least, we have you: me, your sister, and your maids. And for that we're never alone. And I would do the same for you, no doubt about it. You're still who you are, after all." Haruka was starting to understand what her good friend is trying to say. "And even if the world turned against you, I will always be here right by your side."

"Naruto-san," Haruka started to smile, against all odds.

"That is why you will never be alone," he continued, "No matter what happens, I won't leave you, Haruka. Never."

She felt like her heart is beginning to open up once again as she said while she stopped crying, "I've always wanted somebody to say that to me. You wouldn't have to be alone… I… will always…" And she hugged Naruto in a loving embrace.

And Mika and the maids were about to getting too nosy for their own good, Hazuki dragged both the partner and younger mistress outside to give the couple some space and not to interrupt their magic moment together as more than just simple friends.

Even though Haruka is still in her négligée, Naruto wouldn't mind, even if he sees her in her pajamas.

Thankfully, they later have a weekend to make up after all they had went through, including homework. Fortunately, Naruto kept the notes ready for just such an occasion.

 **-NUS-**

[Monday, before vacation officially begins]

Haruka has let her bad feelings being put behind her as she and Naruto have became closer than they were before as they walked along the way towards the academy. The Ayase remembered the promise that he made earlier before the incident about joining with Haruka to the NatsuComi convention in Odaiba on the 17th of August; plenty of time to plan things and to have fun before July begins.

But all of that was interrupted when Mr. Buttinsky - or rather Takeshi Ogasawara - made his self-absorbing presence known.

"Good morning, Haruka-chan, my little Barbie doll," the arrogant student greeted her like she's a trophy girlfriend.

"What do you want here, Owari-san?" Naruto questioned after being ignored again.

"Kisama (Why, you)‽" Takeshi growled at his rival's belittling, but regained his composure and continued to woo her, "Why are hanging around with this disgustingly blown-up Ken who likes carrying unsightly catalogs with him to school? Maybe you cling to that perverted otaku because you felt sorry for him? His life is over, so why don't you…"

"Stop it, please!" Haruka declared as she began to get angry, "Naruto-san is a kind person and took care of people around him. He's wonderful, unlike you. It is unthinkable for your kind to possibly deny that. So please, stop it."

Then Naruto offered this advice to Takeshi, "Owari-san, do us a favor, will you? Don't make us angry. You wouldn't like us when we're angry."

And he and Haruka walked away from the narcissistic student, not wanting any unnecessary conflict today, leaving Takeshi very enraged as he attempted to grab Haruka, but caught Naruto (who did a substitution with himself) instead, and he pulls Takeshi into a [running headlock], slamming the jerk to the ground, leaving him stunned for a few moments.

While the crowd of students watched Naruto and Haruka slowly turning themselves in a state of high tension, as Takeshi's possé (now reduced to 2, after the others were caught by their parents/guardians of the incident last week) came by and attacked the unusual twosome with sheer malice, but they were knocked down by Naruto and Haruka's art of self-defense. When Takeshi gathered his senses, he saw that his partners-in-crime were utterly defeated. And then, Haruka (now in a state of super-high tension) grabbed Takeshi as she let out an angry expression as she said, "I warned you on not to speak badly of Naruto-san. And besides that, that "unsightly catalog" you spoke of is actually something I brought."

The student crowd began to feel utter dread that their idol starlet and the blondish foreigner are casting fear at their wicked hearts as the former declared, "If you have something to say, then say it to me directly, please. Now, say goodbye! Naruto-san, will you do the honor?"

"After you, Ojo-sama," Naruto responded as Haruka uses her family's secret fighting technique: [Stardust Revolution]: a powerful judo throw into the air, followed by an uppercut, sending the perp flying.

And as Takeshi started to fall down, Naruto followed up with a powerful uppercut of his own as the Ayase recited a haiku in the middle of the suspense after starting the poem, "To the stars!" ***Bam!***

 _Stay out of our way_

 _You who disrespect the flow_

 _We follow our dreams_

 _-Naruto Ayase_

"Gaaaaahhh!" the narcissist screamed as he felt his lower jaw being busted in two places and landed onto the sacks full of burnable trash with a ungraceful splat.

 **]DESTROYED[**

"Remind me not to make you angry, Haruka," Naruto remarked after dusting his hands of the situation.

"Duly noted, Naruto-san," she replied calmly as they began to hold hands together, "Come on, let's hurry over." And the new dubbed couple jogged over to the academy together, leaving the other heartless students about to lose their pants from a clear and present fear of danger.

Too bad, so sad…

§

To be continued...»

* * *

 **Side Story**

 _Naruto's Chronicles in The Chakra Islands Part 2_

 _Last time…_

 _Naruto was shanghai'd by Iruka and his allies, by the orders of the Kage of the Chakra Islands. He was held prisoner in a jail cell, with nobody else but himself and the clothes on his bed. He then hears the footsteps of people coming towards him._

And now…

[Konoha, Chakra Islands - Kage Quarters]

Minato (38) was busy with paperwork when he got word from Iruka and the abled members, who made their presence in the office.

He remembered from Jiraiya overhearing about the Oldest Elder of the Toad Clan having a prophecy about the Chosen One among the twin children will become the greatest and restore the Chakra Islands to their original glory and the older sibling shall serve the younger. The Namikazé wondered to himself if he had went too far after what he had did to Naruto and made Kushina bear more children in the aftermath.

"Mission accomplished, Kage-sama _(Potentate)_ ," the scar-nosed teacher appeared and reported, "Naruto is finally captured and is placed in a jail cell, awaiting your presence."

"Good," the head leader pleasingly said, "Did he put up any resistance?"

"Well, he knocked out a few of our men with what little he used with, Kage-sama. We somehow captured him, along with the other enemy casualties being sent back to the mainland."

Minato was ascertained that the law of the Japanese mainland hadn't caught word of the boy's capture and that they had to bend and break a few laws to get to Naruto. And he said to Iruka, "Good. Here's your pay stub for the bounty office. You're dismissed."

And Iruka left the room, just before Kushina arrived.

* * *

 _Kushina Uzumaki Namikazé (37) looked like she's not a day over her 20's and she is the current head of the Uzumaki clan. However, she's not the rightful head of the clan because of several of her mistakes:_

 _\- She abandoned her son because of listening to Jiraiya's rumors of the "rightful heir" to the legacy of the Uzumakis and out of spite and the lack of self-respect for herself._

 _\- She's actually a puppet head of the clan because of Danzo Shimura and the Councilmen's influence, after ousting and exiling the previous head leader of the Uzumaki and the previous Kage of the Islands._

 _\- She spoiled her daughter Mirin (could be named after Aji-mirin, the cooking rice wine ingredient - - No, it's more like being named after Rin Nohara, adding "beautiful") believing that she is the one who will pull the Zantetsuken from its sheath._

 _\- She abandoned her ideals as a real Uzumaki, the way it should have runned: no family gets left behind. No "ifs", "ands" nor "buts" (including the butts) about it._

 _\- She never has seen the matriarch Mito Uzumaki Senju after their exile/exodus from the Chakra Islands over 20 years ago, so she didn't know if she was doing anything right or wrong from the way she leads the remainder (that is what's left) of the clan in the region._

 _And now, she is the head leader of relatively 8 Uzumakis (Kushina, Mirin and her younger siblings, Tsunade, and a few others; if counting Naruto)._

* * *

When Kushina heard that her long-lost son has finally returned home (in her own mind), she tried to rehearse her way to make peace with her forgotten son. "Anata (Dear), what'll we do, now that our son has finally returned home, 'ttébané (ya know)? Will he like us as family? Will Mirin-chan be a good sister to him? What about the other kids?"

"I don't know, Kushi-chan," Minato answered, "But, somehow, we got to get through with Naruto. After all, we made too many mistakes after the Toad clan got angry at us because we've tried to bend the prophecy to our favor towards Mirin-chan and for letting Danzo run our lives for too long."

"Okaa-san, Oyaji (Dad)!" Mirin yelled out from the other end of the door as she entered, "Is it true? That the [demon] is coming home? I don't want him into our lives, 'ttémayo (ya know)! He's nothing but trouble after he caused our nation to be in a slump! Curse that demon!"

As much as the parents disagreed to their daughter's ranting, they were spinelessly forced to agreed, after most of the people clearly despised Naruto as being called the demon, an outcast, and their scapegoating reasons for why the trades and their debt kept piling up and that the Councilmen's decisions were said to be justified.

So Minato decided to go visit the prison to visit their "long-lost" son.

 **-NUS:G-**

Naruto is not in a very good mood after being forced away from his family. Now he has to find a way to get himself out of this trap.

Then suddenly, he hears the footsteps of 4 people coming towards him. It was Minato, Kushina, Mirin, and the jailer.

"Oy! Nokémono ( _Outsider_ )! You have visitors!" the jailer rudely declared before resuming his post.

Naruto stood up with the boundary of iron bars between him and the Namikazés, his 5'2" next to Mirin's 4'11", Kushina's 5'5", and Minato's 5'10½".

"Naruto, musuko (son), please come back home to us," Minato offered, "You get to enjoy what the Kage's son is like and be live the life anyway you like it as a family."

Naruto took a few moments in silence and said, "The only ones that are real [family] to me are ones who raised me, and you're not them. The Ayases and Ruko-neechan are my real family and I'm an Ayase. Why should I come back to the likes of you after you left me? Was for my own good? Was it for spite? My real parents cared for me and told me the truth about my adoption. And Ruko-neechan taught me how to fight in self-defense and with swords, and be a real sister to me. So I'll ask again, why do I have to be family with the likes of you?"

"You will bow to us, Nokémono!" Mirin haughtily declared, "I don't care if you're my younger twin brother! You will be begging for mercy when I got deserve to be the next head of the clan! I AM AN ELITE, DATTÉMAYO!"

Naruto has had enough of the nonsense and requested to the girl, "Would you please come closer? As you see, I don't have anything I can use for a weapon."

Mirin took the ruse and moved closer to the gaps between the iron bars and then…

 ***SMACK!***

Mirin was slapped by the prisoner's left opened hand as he scolded, "Doddering imbecile! That's what happens when "elitists", like you, go too far, dattébayo!" He turned to her parents and declared, "And you! Both of you ought to be ashamed of yourselves for letting your daughter become absolutely spoiled, ya know. I don't care if you're the leaders of this miserable island or not. You have no sense of honor and family among yourselves, 'ttébayo! I have people back in Japan that have shown better honor than you'll ever know!"

 _(And by that, he reminded himself of his family and Haruka.)_

Minato is angry at his prisoner for hurting Mirin and yelled as he grabbed the boy by the shirt collar, "Naruto, you are going into our military system whether you'll like it or not, you hear me! You'll be spending some time being disciplined before I'll make a man out of you. Understand‽ Because if you don't, the Ayases and those dear to you will be taken from you and they will die by our hands!"

{Is that a challenge‽} Naruto thought, {For if you are, ya know!} "Ha!" the boy scoffed, "Trying to play the "culpability" card won't do you any good, because I won't do anything once the law gets through with you, aho _(moron)_!" And Minato's anger begins to boil over as he dropped Naruto and he growled and kicked over a nearby pot full of hot water hanging over an open fireplace, steaming up the whole room, and he ordered the guard to bind Naruto and send him to the Academy for some mandatory disciplinary action.

 **-NUS:G-**

And for the next few weeks, Naruto was given "education" and "discipline" (that is, getting slapped and boxed) by Iruka and the faculty. But even the Ayase noticed how wrong their educational system is because of its severely outdated data, not to mention, the teachers (including Iruka) rigged Naruto's grades to intentionally make him fail or at the lowest of the class.

What's even more saddening is that his classmates and Mirin treat him like he's a plebeian and the plague.

- **NUS:G** -

Of those in the class roster for the new recruits are:

* Mirin Uzumaki Namikazé (who still hates her disowned brother for what he is)

* Hinata Hyuga (she's not the sweet, shy, nor the kindest Hyuga, let alone being like Haruka; but her younger sister, Hanabi, on the other hand…)

* Shino Aburame (would rather be neutral when it comes to communication)

* Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru (the dirtiest and grungiest student that smells like a dirty dog. Akamaru, a 6-month old Pyrenees dog, is much cleaner and much more well-trained than his pet)

* Sasuke Uchiha (The other "elitist" in the group and the upcoming heir to the Uchiha legacy; he's as bad as his late father, Fugaku, and he hates his brother Itachi for the suspicion of most of his family being killed off by him, Fugaku included; Sasuke has twisted plans of seducing every last female he can get his hands on to restore the Uchiha population)

* Satsuki Uchiha (Sasuke's paternal cousin _(Fugaku's niece)_ and is a proud, confident student and trusted friend of Naruto; she puts her elitist attitude where her mouth is, against Sasuke and everybody else, including the Uzumaki-Namikaze parents for what they've done to her for letting most of her clan members perish in the massacre and to Naruto for him to treated unfairly after he gave her some comfort)

* Sakura Haruno (she's one of many fangirls who have a crush on Sasuke and hates Naruto whether he treats her kindly or not; her parents are Civilian Council Members with separate jobs, most of which are not in the honest manner)

* Sai Gashi (Danzo's adopted grandson; has a tendency to make nicknames that rubbed people the wrong way (the Ayase gave him a black eye for the insult for calling him "little boy" - thinking that Naruto's manhood is on the puny side) and is watching Naruto for his grandfather as his spy)

* Ino Yamanaka (daughter of Inoichi Yamanaka (the psychiatrist-investigator), and his wife, Kagami (a florist and the Flower Shoppe owner); another of Sasuke's fangirls and the bossiest of the group: the Ino-Shika-Chou; the "Moe" of the group)

* Shikamaru Nara (son of Shikaku Nara the deer husbandry businessman, and his wife Yoshino, a housewife; the whiniest of the Ino-Shika-Chou; the "Larry" of the group who thinks that almost anything is such a drag)

* Choji Akimichi (son of Choza Akimichi and his wife, Sachiko (both grocers); Choji is the unhealthiest and dullest of the lot that loves to munch on too many greasy potato chips and stuffs himself on food not tied down nor covered off; the "Curly" of the group)

* Yakumo Kurama (She is a good friend to Naruto and has a bit of a rivalry with Sai. Her family were known for their Genjutsu, mostly using bean plants as a medium, but Yakumo decided to break tradition for more draconic means, AKA the Id _(resembling the Oni-baba)_ , after watching some horror films from the mainland; she has a penchant for paintings with the use of the palette knife and oil paints)

To Naruto, most of company (except Satsuki and Yakumo) are among the most disgraceful of the student roster that believed to be the kind that wouldn't last one day in any sort of field or campaign. And they don't like Naruto because of what their parents and friends have called him: an outcast and that they favored Mirin as a real friend (they think).

What's also disparaging is that Naruto was nearly conned in more ways than one, such as:

\- The grocery shops tried to sell him goods that are either in outrageous prices and/or were selling rotten food that should have been disposed of.

\- The clothing and shoe shops were not being honest with their sales and have sizes too large and too small for his liking, not to mention some articles of clothing have unnecessary holes in them, like moth larvae, have gotten into them.

\- Most of the ninja tool and surplus shops tried to sell him defective goods that are likely to break, hurt the user, and/or mostly imperfect for throwing things at a wrong or odd angles.

\- Some of the restaurants, including the Ichiraku's Ramen Bar, tried to poison Naruto with metal-based toxins (arsenic, mercury, thallium, etc.) in his food to keep from showing his potential. _(To this day, Naruto lost his appetite for high quality, restaurant-cooked ramen.)_

\- The housing districts in the city were either abusing their sole tenant for overpriced rent and poor quality in every place; in and around the home.

Thankfully, the Ayase put them in their places to get what is necessary by finding some clothes that actually fit him, are still intact, and don't have those screaming colors, namely bright orange, a firm negotiating on the products to set things correctly as the adage once said, _"The customer is often right."_ And it's not himself that he worries about, it's the other patrons that may end up getting wronged by the salespeople.

 **-NUS:G-**

Instead of living in the Uzumaki-Namikaze residence (because of the way Minato and Kushina treated the Ayase and for other reasons), Naruto got himself an apartment near District 44 - near the Forest of Death (not far from the city limits), where his bills are fair and honest, planted his own garden of crops and flowers (in a plot of land he bought) to trade with the Flower Shoppe (to which Kagami and Inoichi eventually opened up to him) for trade matters - money, different crops, and other business tendencies.

 _(And Ino doesn't understand why Naruto (the nokémono) is being treated fairly, so her parents gave their daughter a whipping that she'll never forget in order for her to change her misconstrued ways._ )

He also became friends with Anko Mitarashi _(another outcast and ex-student of Orochimaru, and a shameless, semi-naked, next-door neighbor that can give Ruko a run for the money)_ , Itachi Uchiha _(another neighbor and Sasuke's older brother)_ and his girlfriend Izumi of the Uchiha Clan, Hanabi Hyuga (Hinata's shy younger sister), Karin Uzumaki _(an Uzumaki relative, after he rescued her from Mor'du the Grizzly Bear -_ one of the Forest of Death's many ferocious denizens _; Karin is also an ambassador and go-between for her exiled clan from Hokkaido),_ Hana Inuzuka _(Kiba's older sister who treats Naruto like a real little brother, unlike Kiba)_ , Shizune Kato _(Tsunade's adopted niece, and an older sister figure)_ , and a few other people that have trusted the Ayase and not as a killjoy.

 **-NUS:G-**

However, some of the villagers sometimes dared to challenge Naruto while he was taking Wakame for a trip to the ice cream shop, because they believed that the Ayase shouldn't be here in the first place and they were planning on killing him to ensure that Mirin is the rightful heir to the legacy (not realizing that Wakame is in the middle of all this). But they didn't count on Naruto using the Shadow Double Art _(that he learned from watching some of the ninja using a simple double half-Ram signs)_ to help protect the little girl, while taking a few pages out of Bruce Lee's fighting form (of which he practiced) and Jackie Chan's art of using anything for a weapon (including ladders) to put about 300 people (including drunks of both civilian and ninja castes) into the hospital. Nobody ended up dead because of Naruto's mercy as he warned them, "If you ever mess with me and Waka-chan, prepare to take the consequences, dattébayo!"

"Dattéwaka (Ya know)!" Wakame interjected with her verbal tic.

 **-NUS:G-**

The Councilmen tried to arraign Naruto on many charges that are nothing short of lies based on their paranoia and some that were crimes of malicious assault and tried to send him to prison to make him never see the light of day ever again. But the willing civilians witnessed the whole scene and (with Naruto's warning about lying) have told the straight and honest truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; none of the stupid-kid lies. The judge (that is Minato) subsequently dismissed the charges.

Meanwhile, Minato is still stuck in a mountain of paperwork, while Kushina is trying to make Naruto her son again, to which he stubbornly refused, after all the years of heartache he had went through.

Mirin tried time and time again to make her brother admit that she is an elitist, as well as hurting him for the heck of it, only to end up getting humiliated by Naruto's traps, as if it he was saying to her and any unwanted company, "Get lost!"

Mirin's 2 younger siblings were indifferent towards Naruto, but the youngest sibling (a girl not yet in pre-school) treated the Ayase like a real brother and became quite attached to him. Naruto knew that he liked her like family and wouldn't dare to break the little girl's heart. He helped her when her family (particularly her older siblings) have utterly mistreated her the same way they have done to him. So, with his neighbors' help, Naruto took care of the little girl named Wakame.

One time, Naruto left Wakame to his friends in the Women's side as he tries to take a relaxing bath at the onsen in the Men's side, when he catches Jiraiya peeping on the women in the open-air baths as well as watching for Kushina, Mirin, and most of all, Tsunade. The Ayase knows that Wakame and the other girls were also inside the Women's side, within the peeper's sights, so he picked up a loose pebble and, like a baseball star, he accurately throws it at the peeper, catching the attention of the women's side, giving the Toad Sage **(correction** : the Ero-sennin) a big stomping and smacking for his lewd behavior. This, of course, makes Jiraiya not wanting to cross Naruto's path like he's a pure black cat - bad luck, while Satsuki and Yakumo took the refreshed and cleaned Wakame back to her big brother as they parted ways for the night.

And later, when Naruto was given a summons by the hospital for a check up. Tsunade refused to exam with Naruto, due to prejudicial ignorances, but Shizune willfully took the task and later, with another doctor present, Naruto is in a clean bill of health and is much more energetic than the other students (both male and female of his group, including Mirin). He mentioned that he eats a number of good foods, go a little less on things like ramen, and a good exercise around the city limits and the academy's obstacle course.

(Of course, Shizune is having an unparticular sense of angst after seeing Naruto's growing manhood. She wishes that has a proper boyfriend at her age.)

When Tsunade heard the news, she is simply furious that Naruto is going to outlast Mirin by a longshot.

All of this have happened within a month into the ordeal...

- **NUS:G** -

Later in the night, in the Uzumaki-Namikaze, Mirin takes her younger siblings Menma (9) and Nori (7) to bed at her mother's request, because of an important event.

 _(Baby Wakame (3½) isn't in the residence after they lost her.)_

Jiraiya entered the house and is becoming very incensed and frustrated that Naruto is becoming too powerful for his own good and have "kidnapped" Wakame out of revenge.

Kushina kept sobbing for her youngest daughter is lost in the city and that Naruto is corrupting Wakame to turn against her.

They are aware that the time has come for the new students for them to see if they can unsheath the Zantetsuken. They, Minato, and Kushina planned to use the upcoming Chunin exams to see if Mirin or her other siblings would be the ones to able to use the blade.

Danzo was also here, spying and scheming with his own plans, awaiting to lay his hands on whoever can hold the sword once it's been pulled.

(To be continued…)

* * *

 **A/N** : I decided to add a little more twist to the story by adding some manga elements to the chapter. And as you can see, I figured the right place for moving the story along about how Naruto and Haruka's became closer than ever and this assumed to be the last time the Hakujoh students dared to mess with the individuals. As for the forgettable Nobunaga, he has his business (mostly on collecting things) elsewhere, so he probably didn't notice the conflict with Naruto and the NatsuComi catalog.

We also introduced Mika, Hazuki, and Nanami, as important characters, as more are still yet to come.

As for the side story, the Uzumaki-Namikazes are a family of 6 (excluding Naruto, since Minato and Kushina foolishly disowned Naruto because of the prophecy and Danzo's bad advisory). Mirin, Naruto, Menma, Nori, and Wakame were named based from Ramen ingredients, but have a double meaning. You just have to find it for yourself.

Also, each of the Uzumakis have their "ya know" tics:

Mirin - Dattémayo

Naruto - Dattébayo

Menma - Dattéyoba

Nori - Dattéyaré

Wakame - Dattéwaka

Kushina - Dattébané

(Personally, the name Naruko or for the names of the siblings based on Naruto, Mito (the ancestor), Minato were often overused and likely weren't given enough imagination in many fanfics I've read.)

Some changes have also occurred in the story, Hanabi and Hinata's personalities were swapped; Sai is given a surname based on the unfinished story "Naruto: Captured" by EdStargazer; the Uchiha Massacre was slightly averted, with only a handful of Uchiha members still alive after the failed revolt (with the missus Mikoto avoided her deadly fate); Sasuke and Satsuki being separate characters instead of being alternate; why Iruka, the Ichirakus and possibly even others ill-treat Naruto, being such ignoramuses; why other folks give Naruto cold shoulder and treated him like an unwanted killjoy are the many ideas expanded the side story to extended the small location to a bigger area.

Also, there's something I forgot. The special clans (toads, slugs, snakes, etc.) are pretty much human, but they have different features in their wardrobe that have the resembled fauna, as well as having the said fauna into their lands. They have means of sustaining themselves on whatever they can live by.

* * *

And the heat will be on!

-blukmage19


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _It's London!_

 _In a Tracksuit, Dattébayo‽_

§

[In a Boeing 787-8 airplane]

A stewardess came by and awkwardly asked a passenger for something to order. And who was this passenger? None other than Naruto his training gear (in his sleeveless black shirt with a Kurama fox decal, a orange tracksuit jacket with its sleeves wrapped around his waist and orange and black cotton and polyester sport pants, a black headband cloth around his forehead, and is wearing his slip-on sneakers) as he ordered a cola.

The passengers and the stewardesses were wondered how this person end up in the plane on a overseas trip in dressed like a lower class citizen in a First-class only flight.

"Yeah, I like to know about that myself," Naruto murmured, "I wondered if they believed that I was "invited" by the Nogizaka family, ya know?" {At a most inopportune time, too, I might add.}

"Hey, Onii-san, are you having a good time?" Mika Nogizaka asked her guest, "This is the best!"

It may be fun for Mika, but this isn't really Naruto's first overseas trip and his parents never took him on a First-class compartment before; only in business seats. He never imagined how it would end up like this.

And when a small puppy was passing by and was about to do something naughty, like defecating at Naruto's feet. But when it looked at Naruto's mean look, it sees an image of the 9-tailed fox leering at it ferociously, as Naruto growled, "Trifle with me, will ya, you ornery, mangy dog!"

"*whimper!* *Aooh! Aooh! Aoh-aoh-aoh!*" the formerly mischievous puppy yiped as it ran back to its master and to its kennel, utterly frightened out of its wits.

"Man!" Naruto interjected as he laid back to his seat, "How did I ever get myself roped into this mess, ya know‽"

* * *

 _-A Very Long Flashback-_

[A few hours ago, Japan Time]

It all started on the beginning of August.

Naruto is at home, already finished with his summer homework, recently got his driver's license and insurance, and developing his muscles, as he is currently practicing with his electric keyboard to try to express his style in ragtime music after Haruka taught him about how to play and to do some chords. (He's a fast learner.)

While the parents are away on their date together, Ruko is with her occupation as a secretary and Yukari is out to the school building on an important matter, Naruto's doubles were busy cleaning the house and sorting the groceries for his sister and tenant/teacher to come back home first, because he senses that he is going to have company, he just doesn't know who yet.

(At least it beats having a boring day.)

And when he hears someone ringing the doorbell, he said, "Standby, I'm coming, ya know."

And when he sees through the peephole, he sees Nanami (the Nogizakas' 3rd ranked maid holding a modified version of her polearm hammer) and a unfamiliar younger goldilock maid that looked like she's close off to 10 (holding a double-edged Einhänder sword), are outside of the door, about to break it with brute force when Naruto, holding his Zantetsuken, opened the door and defended himself, just as the maids charged at him with their weapons, out of their reflexes.

The doubles asked the original what was going on and the latter said, "Nothing, just our guests from the Nogizaka residence, ya know!" And he hopped back and withdrew his blade and questioned the maids, "Alright, what's going on here, especially on a scorching day in August?"

"Oh? Were you waiting like a good boy~?" the sunglasses-wearing maid singsonged, "Nanami-san is here to pick you up~!"

"Kein Problem (No problem)!" the younger maid said in German.

"You must've saw us coming, if you pardon the intrusion. Was I a bit too rough?"

"If it were an average citizen, then, yes, it would be," Naruto answered, "So what can I do for you today?"

"We're here for you to come along with us," the 3rd ranked maid said, "But before we get to that, can you tell us how are there many of you in the house? Don't tell me you all are identical siblings."

"Not really, Nanami-san," the Ayase replied, "Although I do have some bratty siblings overseas (with Wakame and Nori as the exception), but that's beside the point. Those are my Shadow Doubles, from one of the many myriad techniques of the Ninja Arts. They are, what you call, extended versions of myself and we get the job done right around the house."

Then Naruto shows the maids of his weapon, the Zantetsuken - a long katana (a blade that is no longer than 80 cm (or a little less than 31½ inches, not including the forearm-lengthed handle (about 110 cm overall)), is said to have the ability to break opponents' weapons if the user allows it. He explained that this blade was made from a special metal alloy that isn't found anywhere except Uzushiojima (a deserted islet from the Chakra Islands protected by many maelstroms surrounding the area). It also has a special trait that makes it unique. He also said that his weapon was formerly tested for those trusted by the Uzushio legacies, otherwise, anyone else doesn't have what it takes will feel like being weighed down by the sense of heaviness or like kneeling as if they are in penance for their own shame.

The doubles then left a note for Ruko, Yukari-sensei, and his parents for them to fix dinner themselves, because he has a business trip of his own for a few days, before they *poof* themselves out.

Then Nanami suddenly tries to use her long ribbon to ensnare Naruto, but somehow caught a piece of log instead as Naruto said, "Just a minute, ya know. Let me tidy up a bit." And he seals the Zantetsuken into a mini scroll and puts it in his pocket, gets his important belongings, and he wears his slip-on sneakers before getting ready to leave the house.

The maids escorted the Ayase (still in his track gear) into their sports car, where Mika is sitting, at the right rear passenger seat. "Good day, Onii-san," she greeted, "It hasn't been over 2 weeks, was it?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered, "My parents finally came home in months and we had to spend some quality family time together that haven't had for a while, ya know. And right now, they're gone on a their date together after being in work for too long. How about you?"

And as Nanami (the driver) and the blond maid made their entry into the car, and buckling up before speeding off, Mika told Naruto about her venture in Nara, on a hunting trip and Haruka is spending her time with their father, Gentō.

Naruto then asked a nagging question, "Why do you and your maids want me for, ya know? For a moment, I thought you were planning to kidnap me for some strange reason or other."

"Hmm?" Mika murmured before making her answer, "Oh, I just came to pick you up. You see, you're invited to come to Onee-chan's event: a piano competition."

"Right~," Naruto remarked with a bit of skepticism.

"You'll cheer her on, won't you?" Mika asked.

"Well, this is news to me, ya know," he said as he patted the younger Nogizaka's head, "I'd wished you told me sooner."

"But I did, Onii-san," she sincerely replied, "It was the other day, around noon, when your older sister picked up the phone and I asked her to pass the message to you. She spoke like she's a samurai."

"Ruko-neechan," Naruto easily figured out, but then he got a text message on his cellphone from his older sister, saying that a certain somebody is going to pick him up at around noon. And there's a postscript saying, »"We'll be having crab hot pot, OK?"«

{Note to self: don't let anybody ask Ruko-neechan for any favors involving me. Especially when she's "marinated", ya know.} Naruto angrily thought, {I'm going to have make her and Sensei sober up, but good, if it's the last thing I do.}

So he texted back to Ruko, »"Tell Mom and Dad that to go have dinner without me for a few days. I've been invited by some friends of mine on an important date. Don't be burning down the house, Ruko-neenerhead. You know you still can't cook, admit it."« And he hung up the phone.

"Say, Onii-san, you seemed to be having problems of your own, don't you? How about something to drink? We have things from Kool-aid (Sugared Water) to Romanée-Conti¹."

* * *

¹ - Romanée-Conti is a type of wine imported from a sub-region in Burgundy, France, using Pinot Noir grapes as its primary source.

* * *

"Mika-chan, I'm still a minor, ya know, so no wine for me, thanks," Naruto declined, "I'll settle for an "Arnold Palmer" (tea and lemonade mix) on the rocks, in a tall glass."

And the small blond maid gave Naruto a cup of the mixed tea with a baby-doll look.

"Thank you…" Naruto said, but wasn't acquainted with the new face.

*Koku koku* the maid nodded, not really understanding the Japanese language.

"She's just flapping around, Onii-san," Mika explained, "Let me introduce you to one of our maids, Alistia Rein-chan, originally from Germany. We call her Alis-chan for short." And Alis came towards her mistress and the latter explained, "Alis-chan is our 8th ranked maid, in charge of bodyguarding VIPs and Sabotage."

*Koku koku* the maid now named Alis affirmatively nodded.

"And because she's small, many opponents underestimated her and they paid the price for it."

"Yeah, I noticed," Naruto remarked as if it wasn't the first time it happened to him as Alis gets embraced by her mistress/sister-figure.

As they passed by a turn that is heading towards a superhighway, Naruto never thought he saw the overviewing side of the city that he lived in, until now. He questioned Mika, "So where's this piano recital going to be at? It's not going to be that far away, is it?"

"Onee-chan didn't tell you?" the younger Nogizaka asked.

"I don't think so."

Mika gave off a smile and said, "It's in London. London, England."

 _-End Very Long Flashback-_

 **-NUS-**

It was an 11-hour non-stop flight from Japan, all the way to London, England. Based on what Naruto knows, it's 9 hours behind Japan's time. He and the invitees left from Japan's terminal at around 14:00 hours (Japan Time DST) and arrived in London at around 16:00 (Greenwich Time DST) and not at 01:00 hours, in the middle of the night.

(At least he took a brief rest along the way.)

It's going to take a while to adjust to the clock time in a foreign land, says Naruto as he corrected his digital watch on his left wrist to dual time, minus 9 hours. It's going to be tough on his sleeping schedule.

He has his passport that he still has from a few years ago and was surprisingly updated by Nanami, who said that the recent changes on his passport are considered confidential.

"But why London of all places?" he asked with a sense of filling excitement, "Is this becoming all too real, ya know?"

"Well, care to try?" Mika replied, "Let's make those dreams come true."

Nanami escorted Mika, Naruto, and Alis into the limousine as she drove across many landmarks around London, including the famous Great Ormond Street Hospital.

"There's not much free time, but enjoy yourself after we visited a few places, Onii-san," Mika said.

"So this is London?" Naruto remarked as he took a few good pictures on his camera for the places he has been to.

"Sure is!" she replied.

And the limo came to a stop, Mika takes Naruto out to the riverside to see the London Tower Bridge at twilight.

"This is amazing, dattébayo," he said with a smile and he took a good photo.

Then Mika and the maids take Naruto across many landmarks such as the British Museum, the Buckingham Palace, and the particular Children's Hospital that's been around since the mid 19th Century.

Then they came by a particular shop that is also a novelty store. Along the way, Naruto found a Gachapon from a capsule dispenser that looked awfully familiar with the ones back in Akihabara. He bought one chance with some of his exchanged money (from Japanese Yen to British Pounds), which he used some of the money as a collection of his own. The very strange thing about that Gachapon capsule was that he managed to snag is a UK Version of Clumsy Girl Aki-chan in her ™ pose; the rarest of the bunch. He set it aside for Haruka as a token of his esteem for the performance.

 **-NUS-**

[At the Riverside Sidewalk]

"Oh, did you know? This is my 11th visit to England," Mika mentioned, "But I never got to enjoy this much before."

"Is that so?" Naruto wondered.

"Ah, but look at the time, we should be going," the younger Nogizaka fidgets as if she acting all flirty-birdy, "Tsk~ Time flies so fast whenever I'm with you, Onii-san."

"I'm glad to be of service, Mika-chan," Naruto responded with an honorable English-style bow, but then he hears beeping noises coming from Mika's phone, "You have an appointment?"

"Oh dear, I have to be going now! Bye!" she said as she took Alis with her while Naruto and Nanami parted ways as the maid took him to the Symphony Hall.

- **NUS** -

[21:30 GMT]

The red carpet was rolled as Nanami gave the parking attendant to park the Nogizaka limousine into a VIP parking.

"Mika-sama has other business to do, so she'll be coming afterwards," the maid explained, "I'll accompany you to your seat, Naruto-sama."

"Gosh, I feel so unimportant, ya know," Naruto modestly said as he sees other celebrities walked along the red carpet entering the hall.

There were a few broadcasting cameras filming live as they were watching many famous people making their debut. To Naruto, he felt a bit out of place, wanting to live the life of common folk in a high-class world.

[At the same time, elsewhere in Japan, 06:30 hours (Japan Time)]

The Ayase family and Yukari were watching the morning local news about the important celebrity footage when the Mister nearly gagged himself from drinking his cup of coffee when he notices Naruto in the limelight on TV. Ruko nearly choked on her beer can and Yukari exclaimingly spat out her grape juice as they, too, see Naruto walking the red carpet in his tracksuit. "«Hello to all my friends and family in lovely Nihon,»" Naruto said in good English as he waved.

"I don't believe it!" the Missus softly exclaimed as she wiped the mess, "How did Naruto end up in England? We never had our trip over there in like, ever!"

"Naruto is growing up, dear," the Mister replied, "If I didn't know any better, I'd be surprised that our little boy is dating a girl from his school. I wish Ruko-chan and Yukari-san would find themselves out of the house, having dates of their own."

Ruko didn't hear what her parents were complaining as she can't help but think that her little brother is showing some "one-upmanship" that's outweighing her fame in her business as a secretary of a big company as she started to smirk mischievously. "Just you wait, Naruto, Onee-chan has a present for you for not letting us have our hot pot last night! Heeheehee…"

"Oh, Naru-kun, why do you do this to me so?" Yukari complained while holding her juice bottle close to her bosom.

[In the Chakra Islands]

Minato is watching the CNN (the Chakra News Network) Channel before heading out for work on the paperwork, with his Shadow Doubles assisting him, he heard Wakame yelling for her family to point out that Naruto is on TV in the lounge.

On one hand, Minato and Kushina regretted letting their eldest son (born after Mirin) go to his heart's desire. But on the other hand, maybe there will be a way to make amends for their mistakes to him, somehow. They prayed for his journey in wide world beyond the islands.

 **-NUS-**

The Symphony Hall is a large and spacious building set with a expansive stage for the performers playing their classical pieces: by solo-playing or with a symphony with an arraignment of instruments and/or singing an opera piece. It's not normally for a place for Rock n' Rollers to play in a high-class crowd (with, of course, there are a few exceptions that involve Classical music rearranged to their group's settings). And Naruto is no exception being a humble middle-class Japanese foreigner in a (mostly) English crowd as he has to keep his cool and enjoy the concert without any unnecessary and rudely interruptions. The onlookers were surprised to see a newcomer that looks like he's half-European (his blue eyes and blondish hair) and half-Japanese (facial features that are more closer to a Mongoloid) and that he's wearing outrageously garish clothing. The Ayase is trying to keep things in a diplomatic manner, despite being a Japanese student in London.

As Naruto explored the hall's surroundings, Nanami escorted her guest to the EXSSS (Executive Triple S, a real tongue-twisting name for a seat section) Balcony seat area. She asked him about giving something to drink and Naruto suggested some red Sparkling Grape Juice for such a joyous occasion. He pretended to be a Victorian Bourgeoisie as he was seated into his club chair as he rest his left arm on its back part and put on his Hawk Eye mask and acted, "Well, shall I try a little taste of it, dattébayo—?"

"Oh, Naruto-sama, you're so funny~," Nanami giggled.

The Ayase let off a brief amusing chuckle of his own.

Then the maid asked where did he get that tool; it looked like a mask and a pair of binoculars combined into one useful item. Naruto explained that they're only exclusive to one shop in the Chakra Islands runned by a group of grade school kids (at the time), particularly the youngest of the bunch. The Hawk Eye is basically a binoculars and a mask that can zoom its lenses to get a closer view. It works best with the artillery weapon that can better snipe a target as much as a mile away, otherwise, it helps give the user a better view of the scenery.

But then, the Ayase just couldn't sit still and he excused himself to take a restroom break while Nanami prepare the drinks. The maid told him where the nearest restroom is located and Naruto thanked her as he left the area.

- **NUS** -

"Haah~" Naruto sighed as he followed the direction, with his Hawk Eye still on top of his head, "I guess being a common person isn't all that's cracked up to be. I hope the toilet isn't too sophisticated like the ones back home." As he waited by an occupied unisex WC room, he complained to himself, "What's with this extravagance? Just how much did it cost to get an expensive seat, even for friends and family to attend in advance? I know Haruka's family could buy that much in a seat and the round trip for as much as buying a simple house, I guess. Oh well, nothing good will come, thinking like that, ya know."

But as he waited he hear the voice of Mika coming through the other side of the WC and asked the person, "Is that you, Onii-san? I'm sorry, I'm still in the middle of changing."

"S'alright, Mika" Naruto replied, "Just don't be all night about this and miss Haruka's performance, ya know."

Alis was nearby, eating her chocolate-covered banana and strawberries when she notices Naruto waiting outside of the WC, thinking with her perspective as she pseudo-robotically mumbled in German, ::ALIS ANFAHRSYSTEM...ANALYSIEREN. RICHTIGE PROZEDUR EINLEITEN? EINGABEANTWORT... (Alis System Start…Analyze. Commence proper procedure? Input response...)::

She reads the visual data in German and perceived that Naruto as a big bad fox and is preparing to rape her mistress the moment she leaves the room and the German maid concluded, ::ANTWORT AKZEPTIERT. ZIEL VORZUBEREITEN, ZIEL ZU ELIMINIEREN (Response accepted. Preparing to eliminate target)…!:: "Schwert der Eroberung (Sword of Conquest)!" And Alis charged at Naruto with one of her weapons, mechanically thinking that he's a vile lecher and beast.

"Dammit!" Naruto cursed as he quickly unsealed his Zantetsuken and puts into a reverse-gripped, defensive stance with two reasons: he doesn't want to hurt Alis and he had to negotiate the situation to her just as both weapons clash against each other. Neither combatant were willing to back off from the pushing game and the memory exchanging, just when Nanami came by and stopped Alis from causing any more chaos. Naruto and Alis bowed in earnest from their little game and withdrew their weapons as the fully dressed Mika (in a designer set) exited the WC and Naruto excused himself inside.

Mika and Nanami began to blush as they pretended to think what could be the perverted ideas of what Naruto's manhood is going to be like, while Alis is having trouble with insufficient data coming through her mind about what her sempai and mistress were up to.

 **-NUS-**

After finishing using the restroom, the company returned to their EXSSS club seats. As Naruto was given a wine glass full of sparkling juice, he said to the sunglasses-wearing maid, "I'm grateful for you helping me stop Alis-chan, Nanami-san. I was afraid that she would go ballistic and possibly get ourselves and anybody killed."

"You're quite welcome, Naruto-sama," Nanami replied, "Alis-chan said that she is sorry for her misconstruing. She is very protective of the Nogizaka family."

*Koku koku* Alis nodded in agreement, "Es tut mir Leid (I'm very sorry)."

"Ich vergebe dir (I forgive you), Alis-chan," Naruto compassionately replied in German and the littlest maid hugged Naruto like a brother, cheering her up.

"What do you think, Onii-san?" Mika asked as she shows off her fashionable short dress, "Mou...That was almost embarrassing with you and Alis-chan fighting over little old me."

"Sorry," Naruto apologized as he looked at the younger Nogizaka, "Anyway, that dress looks very good on you, ya know."

"Really? Thanks," she happily replied.

"I'm not surprised," Nanami said with an unexplainable smile, "Mika-sama had that item designer-made, just for today."

"Na... Nanami-san‽" the younger Nogizaka apprehensively exclaimed.

"I suppose that's fair enough, given that it's Haruka's contest?" Naruto remarked, but then he noticed that there are 3 club seats: Mika's, himself, and one other seat. It isn't Haruka's, because she is in the Waiting Rooms. Then he senses something not right here; like an impending arrival of some kind of nasty weather, like the kind that he experienced one before.

"Ah, that's my Dear father's chair," Mika explained.

::I knew it…:: he murmured, "Your dad?"

"Yes, he said that he'd be coming today. It's too bad that Dear mother couldn't come with us, but if Dear father doesn't hurry up, he'll miss the start," Mika said before asking Nanami, "How long before it begins?"

"Pretty soon," Nanami answered.

{Hold it! Hold it!} Naruto collecting his thoughts, {Does this mean that Gentō-san is going to come, dattébayo‽ Better get on my nervous strength.}

And sure enough, he hears the sounding footsteps of a big, muscle bound man approaching the balcony.

"Dear father, why did stay away for so long?" Mika asked.

"Work kept dragging on, so forgive your daddy for being a little late," the man said as he reached the end of the stairs, "Nanami, you're here to help out, too, eh? Has it started yet?"

"The curtain will be raised shortly," the maid humbly answered.

The man approached Naruto's seat and said, "Ayase-san, it's been a while. I've heard great deeds about you." And he reached out his hand in earnest greeting.

 **-Naruto's Secret-**

Naruto smiled and said, "Yes, it's been a while since our last meeting, Gentō-san."

The atmosphere in the balcony felt stiffening as some people were watching from their field glasses that for a moment, they see a tiger (Gentō) facing off against what looked like a 9-tailed fox (Naruto) as they shook hands in a firm greeting. The younger foreigner boy is taking things in stride, they say.

There's only like 20 minutes until the start of the competition; Haruka is positioned later in the performance before Shiina Amamiya…

{Shiina‽} Naruto wondered, {I didn't know she was in the competition as well. It's gonna be tough to be supporting both Haruka and her, ya know.}

But then, Mika got a vibration on her phone and got a message that her older sister needed to see Naruto for some support, so she told the Ayase the urgent news.

Gentō wouldn't mind about what his oldest daughter having a chat with a friend who is close (but not too close) to Haruka, as he give her the emotional strength to help her with her performance. But when Mika mentioned about the relationship between her sister and Naruto, Gentō (acting like an overprotective father) is starting to lose his temper and was about to put [something] out from his inside breast pocket. But the Ayase convinced the mister to control himself and not to do anything rash or anything stupid in front of the crowd.

Mika then guided Naruto of the area where the waiting rooms were at, and then he, the younger sister, and Nanami went on their way on foot to Haruka's room.

 **-NUS-**

[In Haruka's Waiting Room]

"Ah, Naruto-san!" Haruka in her ballroom gown noticed her dear friend as he entered the room, "Oh, you came by as I asked."

"You're expecting Peter Pan?" Naruto sarcastically and rhetorically questioned as he was gazing upon Haruka and her gorgeous attire, "I heard that you needed something, right?"

The moment was briefly interrupted when Mika and Nanami are acting very boisterously precocious.

"Remember. Don't do anything suspicious~!" the younger sister singsonged to young duo.

"This room has surveillance cameras~!" the 3rd Ranked maid also singsonged, as they left the room to give the "lovebirds" their privacy.

"Oh, your sister and that maid of yours," Naruto sighed, but then he noticed a Clumsy Girl Aki-chan figurine on the piano.

Haruka tries to hide that little secret and blushingly stammered, "Um...this is…well...my lucky charm, or should I say… Th...that doesn't mean that it's meaningless to it, though…"

"Haruka," Naruto softly guided, "Stop for a moment. Take a deep breath and let it out nicely." Haruka did and her nerves have calmed down a bit. "I understand, okay? Aki-chan's just your lucky mascot. Is it because you brought it to help relieve your tension?"

"Yes, but that's not all," she said with a feeling of elation, "Since you're the one that…"

"?" Naruto curiously wondered what his close friend is trying to say.

"Oh! N... nothing. Never mind what I said."

{Oh, thank goodness,} he thought to himself as he sees Haruka loosening her fingers for her piano playing, but then, she suddenly realized that she made a boo-boo, "I got the wrong sheet music by mistake." It was a Clumsy Girl Aki-chan sheet music "Always Together". Both students liked the music arranged in the animé, but sadly this isn't the right sheet music for the occasion.

So she requested Naruto to find the music called "Transcendental Études" by Franz Liszt and he looked for Nanami and the other maids for the misplaced sheet music.

 **-NUS-**

And as Naruto was about to use his Shadow Double Art to split up, he accidentally ran into Shiina, in her red, cleavage-showing, ballgown dress...and her panties showing from the tumble and the papers went flying upon impact.

"Ite~! What was that all of the sudden, ya know‽" she exclaimed, "I can't believe that you ran around the corner like that!"

"Shiina?" Naruto wondered.

"Naruto‽" she exclaimed with a reddened face.

"Surprise, surprise, ya know." And he helped her up without looking down at her accident. "Sorry about that, I was in hurry. You see, I have a friend that seemed to have lost her sheet music for her recital." He notices that Shiina has the "Transcendental Études" complete list. So he asked her a favor; he's looking for a № 6 of the études. Shiina gladly lent the piece to him, saying that she is doing a different number. Naruto thanked her for letting him borrow the sheet music as he pulled a shunshin.

"That guy is full of surprises...for a ninja, dattébéyo. What is this strange feeling…?"

 **-NUS-**

Naruto reappeared back in the waiting room with the music sheet. "Sorry for the wait," he said as he gave the sheet music to Haruka.

"How did you find this?" she asked.

"I borrowed it from an acquaintance of mine. Don't worry about the details right now."

Haruka looked at Naruto and she smiled as she knows that he is honest. "Okay. I won't if you say so. You saved me from an utter embarrassment by doing this." She embraced the sheet music. "Oh, Naruto-san, you're my knight in shining armor."

"?" Naruto wondered why.

"Whenever I'm in trouble, you stood by me, and I helped you whenever you want to know about learning things. Ah, but, you must be sweaty from running so much." She pulled out a tissue to wipe the sweat from the rather hot room, "Hold still, please."

Naruto can't help but feel that Haruka is helping him relax, at the turnabout. But suddenly, Haruka started to trip from her shoe getting caught on the inside of her gown. Naruto managed to catch her in the nick of time, as they see themselves in an awkward position like things were getting rather... romantic.

As their hearts started beating faster and louder, Naruto asked, "You okay?"

"I've done it again, Naruto-san…" Haruka blushed from finding herself in a predicament. Thankfully, Naruto lifted his friend back on her feet and they almost kissed each other, when Hazuki entered the room, "I'm terribly sorry for intruding on such a "strawberry" atmosphere, you two." Haruka gasped from the surprise that the 1st ranked maid and Mika (who followed her) were seeing about what just happened. The younger sister swooned from what her older sister almost did.

So Naruto promised to cheer Haruka from the balcony seat and the latter promised the former that she'll be performing for him.

 **-NUS-**

[Later, in the stage of the auditorium]

There were 15 contestants (all of which were girls from all corners of the globe, including Haruka and Shiina) as they were lined up to ready themselves for their interpretations of their piano-playing. Haruka was later in line, a few people before Shiina.

When Haruka gets her turn, she performed Liszt's "Transcendental Étude № 6 in G minor (Vision)". It blew the competition out of the water. Her performance on that day in August—was the absolute "highlight".

""Princess of the Piano: La Lumière du Clavier"," Mika explained, "It's another of Onee-chan's nicknames. Despite being all nervous before the performance from thinking too much, she was especially impressive today; like she's a totally different person, with all of her fighting spirit. Where did that [passion] come from?"

Naruto started to appreciate classical music at its finest. The other contestants did great on their musical pieces, too; including Shiina's. But there's no doubt that Haruka won the competition, hands down, as she won the trophy given by the judges on the stage. She was being showered by a thunderous applause and praising. To the public, Haruka is just like the Planet Venus glittering in the morning skies, but to Naruto, Haruka is still trying to be true to herself.

"Hmmm. Well, it's only natural," Gentō apathetically praised as he got out of his chair, "Boy, tell Haruka that her father is proud of her. Unfortunately, I promised a schedule to meet with Britain's Intelligence, understood?" And as the mister prepares to leave, Naruto wondered, {Is he what I think he's going to do? He wanted to see Haruka for at least a moment?}

But then Gentō puts his hand on Naruto's shoulder and sternly said, "I almost forgot. At some time or other, I'd like to have a word with the two of you, Ayase-san.

{Don't stay away too long,} Naruto sarcastically thought as Gentō left the building.

 **-NUS-**

[At a different room]

Naruto waited outside at the outer balcony as he watched Haruka chatting with many people (most of which were Englishmen). He sighed and talked to himself, "She looks occupied… I was hoping to chat with her after the concert. But I wonder if it's right to let her relish her share of the glory like that. Shiina and the other girls did well, too. However, the real problem is, why do I feel so out of place?"

"Can sit next to you, Naruto?" Shiina asked and the Ayase consented. "I'm surprised that you come here of all places."

"Mm-hmm," he nodded, "By the way, I wanted to thank you for that earlier, you see, the reason I ended up bumping into you was that was…"

"Was for Nogizaka-san, right?" Shiina filled in the blanks."

"How'd you guess?"

"Well, I saw you go into the waiting room, ya know. By the way, why are you dressed like that?"

"Would you believe that I was "invited"? Almost as if I was being kidnapped, ya know?"

Shiina laughed very hard and slapped Naruto's back at the insane situation. "*laugh!* No way… could you be taken... by the Nogizaka... maids and boarded on... a non-stop flight to London… *laugh* You're so hilarious, ya know! *laugh*"

"That's what happened, Shiina," he remarked with a weak chuckle, "An "open invitation".

After the Amamiya calmed down, she and Naruto watched how Haruka is socializing with the crowd as the latter said, "Nogizaka's incredibly popular, ya know."

"Well, it's beyond me since Nogizaka-san's superb," she admitted, "Hers sounded completely different to mine."

"And you did well, too, Shiina."

"Hold it right there. I don't need your clumsy comforting, ya know," the Amamiya chided, "I know myself better than anybody else. In all honesty, Nogizaka-san's on a completely different league. She is twice as good as me. At this stage, Reaching her is unattainable for me now. But...I won't be giving up so easily."

Naruto looked at Shiina as she felt humbled and confident at the same time.

"It may be impossible now, but someday, definitely. I'll surpass her performance in a way that resounds in everybody's hearts."

"I'm sure you will, Shiina," Naruto said with a smile, "And we'll be ready."

Then Shiina told Naruto that she has to leave, until the next time. And she left her acquaintance with a confident smile.

Now Naruto is alone again at the balcony as he looked at the trees and the night sky. {Should I return to my room? I don't think Haruka's forgotten about me. She, being a girl of fair quality, meaning that there isn't a person in the musical world that doesn't know her, while I'm just a middle-class Japanese citizen trying to make a living. Haruka has her intelligence, her beauty that made her "The Star in the Night", and she knows how to make certain people pay the price for upsetting her. She lives in a different world from me.}

But then Naruto noticed that Haruka is breaking from the crowd and she ran and embraced him.

"I found you at last, Naruto-san," she cheerfully said, "I've been trying to get to you all this time, but I was busy with introductions, the gifts, and the like, and then I saw something unusual."

"Haruka, can you hold that thought for a moment?" Naruto asked, "It seems that your public are just like all the other people back home."

And sure enough, the socialites looked at Naruto getting close to their starlet as the rage with a jealous malice on their minds, grumbling in English, «"Kill him! Kill that bloke!"»

So Naruto told Haruka to hang on to him as he performs a few ninja arts: the Leaf Storm Shunshin, covering the balcony with flying leaves, blinding the people's viewing and the art of "Getting Away!" as he carried Haruka like a princess swept off in style, all the way to the hotel. They checked in and head towards the embassy suite room in the top floor where Mika and the maids were staying.

Hazuki and the maids brought the goods and luggage inside along the way.

Hazuki told Naruto that he'll have to share a room with Haruka, under the condition that he won't do anything to harm their mistress or to make her lose her chastity. Haruka got all steamed up in her naïve mind, but Naruto swallowed his pride and helped carry the suddenly fainted friend into the room. Mika, Hazuki, Nanami were using their listening devices (the simple and the sophisticated variety) to eavesdrop on the lovebirds.

As they enter the vacant room, Haruka and Naruto noticed that there are towels, bathrobes, a fresh pair of men's and women's undergarments (a pair of boxer briefs and a set of bikini-cut panties and her nightly C-cup bra), and that made both of them blush at why are the maids are setting them up to test their morals.

Naruto decided to let Haruka take the shower stall while he took the separate bathtub, and they chatted with each other.

"Naruto-san, as I was saying, I noticed a UK version of Clumsy Girl Aki-chan in the Arcade. I wanted to get that figurine the next time we go."

"What a coincidence, ya know! I got a rare Aki-chan figurine along the way here, that you're gonna like, Haruka."

"Really‽"

"Cross my heart. I'll show it to you after we finished washing ourselves."

Haruka secretly walked out of the stall and she stepped into the tub and pressed her bust against his back and said, "Oh, Naruto-san, you shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have done that."

"Aww," Naruto coyly expressed, "Haruka, you sure you wanted to take a bath with a guy like me?"

Haruka blushed for a moment and consented. And they looked at each other in the eye as they saw their nakedness (anyway, half of one) as they see their naked chests; Haruka seeing Naruto's slightly sculpted chest, showing that he has some muscles, and Naruto seeing Haruka's Side Set C-cup breasts, with her hands hiding her nipples and what's left of her modesty.

They decided to wash their backs and after they rinsed off, they shyly try not to look at each other's bodies lustfully as they carefully stepped out of the tub. But Haruka accidentally missed her footing and she landed on top of Naruto with something nearly jabbing against her behind and her mouth against his ear.

Naruto groaned from landing on his back, with Haruka sitting on top of his stomach, showing the full view of her breasts, navel, and her black-haired covered womanhood in front of him.

And poor Haruka wanted to faint from her complete embarrassment, but Naruto carefully lets her off of him and grabbed the towels and covered her modesty and hair and then his.

"I suppose that you were given "The Talk", Haruka?"

She shook her head and said, "No. Mika and Nanami-san were getting into some matters I don't quite understand, and mother and father never had the time to explain about "The Birds and the Bees", Naruto-san… And now, we got ourselves into this mess… and I…" She nearly started to choke from her sobbing.

Naruto helped Haruka to the bed to let her get dressed. And then he takes out the gachapon capsule from his backpack and said, "Haruka, this isn't an easy thing for me, too. I had to learn the Facts of Life from my parents after Ruko-oneechan nearly took things a little too far." And he explains how the Facts of Life work, the way his parents interpreted. Haruka blushed madly, but understood the reasons why the maids and Mika were trying to do.

"But for now, let's enjoy our lives as teenagers taking on the school life, ya know," Naruto said as held out the capsule and Haruka opened it and she cherished the Aki-chan figurine and thanked him for giving it to her. And she hugged Naruto with her braless chest and he said, "You're welcome, Haruka."

Later, as the lovebirds were sleeping in separate beddings (Haruka on her bed and Naruto on the nearby couch), when the Ayase felt something soft and has a sweet scent of perfume next to his body. He opened his eyes and find his friend lying on top of him, mumbling in her sleep, "I'm scared... Naruto-san…"

He brushed his fingers through her hair and whispered, "I'm right here, Haruka."

And she cooed as she starts mumbling something like, "I lo…"

. . . . .

This is going to be a long night for the lovebirds.

 **-NUS-**

Mika and Nanami were listening to the commotion and were planning to use the recording as blackmail material against Naruto and Haruka. However, Hazuki convinced Mika to go to bed and to delete the recordings.

"Oh my," Nanami interjected, "Why do have to do that for, Hazuki-san?"

"What happens here, stays here, Nanami-san," the 1st Ranked maid explained, "If we dared to reveal it to the Master and Mistress like that, it'll break Haruka-sama's heart and she will end up doing worse things to herself in the end."

Nanami understood the situation as she bid her fellow maid a good night.

§

To be continued...»

»-Line Break-«

 **Omaké**

 _The Return Trip Home_

After spending a few days in England, the Nogizaka sisters, the maids, and Naruto took the flight on a Friday 11:00 hours on a non-stop flight in a First-class plane back home to Japan. He and Haruka were sitting side by side and Mika, Alis, Hazuki, and Nanami were sitting behind them. Coincidentally, the same puppy from the last flight came by from its kennel and (after being housebroken,) got along with Haruka and warmed up to Naruto.

The lovebirds watched the sunset passing by them faster than usual and Naruto explained that they're travelling eastbound and the time duration goes by much further ahead than the other way around. Along the way, Naruto and Haruka rested themselves next to each other, not knowing that they went getting photo'd by Mika and her Polaroid Instant camera (for one of those memories and blackmail material). She and Nanami tried hard not to giggle too loudly as they returned to their seats.

By the time the plane landed, the time on the clock says 06:00 (Japan Time) Saturday. The Nogizaka company took them to a restaurant for a good breakfast and then escorted Naruto back to his home before returning to their mansion residence. He thanked the girls and the maids for a wonderful time in Merry Olde England, and that he confessed that he met his relative along the way.

Haruka and Mika wondered who he/she was, and Naruto said, "It's a secret for now."

And then they parted ways.

By the time Naruto returned home, he was greeted by a barely clothed Ruko and Yukari, wondering why did their little brother/student have to go to, of all places, in England. The parents welcomed Naruto back from his overseas trip and told Naruto that they saw him in the news a few days ago.

Coincidentally, Naruto has a recording on DVD of the competition, live in the London Symphony Hall where he met his friends over there.

(However, he kept the relationships between Haruka and Shiina a secret for the time being.)

Naruto even got pictures from his trip in London.

Ruko and Yukari playfully put Naruto into a double hold and demanded some answers, but Naruto substituted himself with a body pillow and casually drank some light coffee, saying, "That remains classified, ya know."

* * *

 **Side Story**

 _Naruto's Chronicles in The Chakra Islands Part 3_

 _"Minato, instead of worrying about me, you should worry more about your people crying out from their long-internal conflicts."_

Year 1…

One month after the shanghai'ing into the Chakra Islands.

Naruto was given a preliminary test for Genin soldiers to pass for the real Genin Test. He knew that something is up with this rigged test. Usually, it's the test for the basic ninja arts: the Transformation Art, the Substitution Art, and the (practically weak) Clone Art.

Mizuki Miki and Iruka Umino wanted Naruto to fail in order for him to stay as a Civilian in Konoha (while unintentionally sabotaging their own students at the same time,) as part of the Civilian Council's order; causing some poor progress and results. However, they got urgent orders to investigate in a recent battlefield where Taki (Waterfall) Nin were said to be spying at Konoha's border patrol. So they exempted Naruto to give him a bogus mission to find anything out of the ordinary and gather evidence to the office.

(This mission was and wasn't assigned by the current Kage, Minato Namikaze. The "was" part is supposed for selected and available Chunin to Jonin ranked soldiers; the "wasn't" part is that Naruto is going to be the fall guy. The Chunin teachers planned this, in their own minds, to make it look like an accident.)

Naruto decided to play along and consented to this mission. Anko Mitarashi (Naruto's neighbor), of course, was suspicious of the Chunin teachers' trap, so she kept a distant eye on the kid's safety. Wakame didn't want to see her big brother leave, so he asked Inoichi and Kagami to watch over her.

Naruto was disdainfully given poor quality items for survival and defense, other than some food supplies (soldier pills) for sustenance. He noticed that his kunai knives and small shuriken are either chipped, badly misshapen, and are practically useless. He decides to keep them as evidence for any wrongdoing.

Naruto later scouted the bloodied battlefield and found a kunai that is different from Konoha's kunai and later encountered a trio of enemy nin - all kunoichi. They have a boyish appearance as Naruto guessed, because they treated themselves as boys. The trio bragged that they indeed were spying on Konoha's guarding system.

After some chasing and the use of leftover traps set by the previous users, Naruto eventually captured the Taki trio alive and took them and some of their belongings as spoils as he cuffed them with chakra-suppressing cuffs that he "borrowed" from a few of the drunken ninja.

Anko and Yuugao (AKA "ANBU Cat", accompanying her) found Naruto escorting his prisoners on the way back to Konoha. They were impressed by how the young novice managed to come back in one piece as they take Naruto and the prisoners to the Kage office.

Upon entering the main office, with the secretary's consent (courtesy of Anko and Yuugao's "convincing") Minato and Kushina, as well as Mizuki and Iruka, were surprised to see Naruto and the captured 3 Taki Nin.

"Kage-sama, your teachers have literally tried to kill me, ya know! They gave me defective weapons and have sent me on a suicidal mission in place of the Genin Preliminary Test!"

"But Kage-sama, you can't believe what your son is trying to say!" Iruka argued, "Besides, who will you believe, us or him?"

"Naruto, how dare you shame us‽" Minato asked without hearing his disowned son's problems.

"That's when you're all wrong, Kage-sama," Yuugao objected, "Mitarashi-san and I were onto Mizuki-san and Iruka-san for assigning Naruto-san a dangerous mission that was supposed to be theirs in the first place! And besides that, why should you blame your oldest son when he did all of us a bit of a favor."

And Anko and Yuugao showed them the evidence of the C-ranked mission that both Mizuki and Iruka agreed to take, and that Naruto shows the Kage a piece of paper that involves the laxness of their patrol system, leaving themselves open to enemy raids.

Naruto also mentioned that the teachers were runned by the Civilian Council (and not including the Ninja Council) to sabotage the school's education system.

"If that is all, Kage-sama, I like to have my wages for the part of the mission, as well as exchanging the prisoners for my bounty pay and ask of you not to jump to unnecessary conclusions again," Naruto demanded, "Have a nice day."

"Wait! Naruto!" Kushina wanted to talk to her former son, but he and Anko left for the bounty office. She sobbed hysterically at her missed opportunity to make up for her mistakes.

Mizuki raved and said, "Kage-sama, you can't be serious‽ That boy should've been dropped out for your academy! He's a slacker, a lamebrain, and a mental case!"

"Shut up!" Minato shouted as he pounded fist on the desk, "I personally assigned Naruto to become your student and from I saw, you deliberately disobeyed my order by preventing him and everybody else to become proper soldiers. Naruto is far more disciplined and smarter than you idiots for Chunin realized."

Yuugao then said, "Kage-sama, in my opinion, Ayase-san captured some foreign Nin alive and helped save us from an outward crisis." Yuugao pointed out the hidden map tied to the kunai, "He should be deserved of a field promotion into Genin for his efforts."

"You keep out of this!" Iruka yelled, "Naruto doesn't earn a single Ryo from this mission! It's ours to begin with!"

Minato and Kushina's tempers are starting to flare up, intimidating the Chunin teachers as the former warned, "Because of what had transpired during the last month, both of your assigned mission is declared void and Naruto will receive full pay. On top of that, you and everybody else in the Academy are to put on suspension with or without pay until some trusted members of the Ninja Council are able to straighten things out. Understand?"

"«Yes, sir,»" both Chunin responded as they were dismissed.

Yuugao was also dismissed from the office as Kushina pleaded to her husband, "Anata, please stop this madness! If this keeps up, we'll lose more than just Naruto-musuko!"

"Oh, I don't know what to do, Darling," Minato defeatingly said, "I don't know…"

 **-NUS:G-**

The next day, which is on a Friday, Naruto entered to academy to see everybody wearing their headbands but him. Most of the students started to ridicule Naruto for not being able to attend and pass the Genin exams. But Naruto isn't worried, Naruto doesn't give up.

"Urusai!" Naruto angrily said to the instigator, Kiba Inuzuka, "Must you brag about this part of the test? Big whoop. You probably don't know your real reasons for being a soldier."

"Don't you dare ignore me, Nokémono!" Kiba growled and as he was about to send Akamaru to bite him, the dog went to Naruto, wanting the urge for a nice, comfortable scratch.

"That's a good doggy," Naruto happily said before turning back to its dirtied master, "Hana-sempai told me all about you. Kiba, you never give yourself a decent bath, you mangy mutt, and that rotten smell will give you away to those with a super sensitive nose, so do everyone a favor…"

"Gimme back my dog, you…!" the male Inuzuka yelled before Naruto opens a box of special oatmeal soap and stuck into Kiba's mouth, "Damare (Shaddup)! Go take more baths like you're ought to do."

The male Inuzuka was humiliated by the other students, because of the outsider who let him get a bad taste in his mouth, spitting out the suds. Naruto gave Akamaru a special treat before returning it to its pet.

And when Mirin and Sakura were just about to beat some sense into Naruto, the Jonin and Special Jonin arrived in the classroom, calling for order and for the students to be seated. Inoichi is making the announcements, "First things first: as you all know, the teachers are on suspension by the Kage's order. Whether they are cleared of suspicions or not are up to the decisions of the Kage and the Ninja Council. Their crimes are limited to internal sabotaging that may have affected every one of you. Now will Naruto Ayase please step forward?"

Naruto consented as he bravely come toward the Jonin council and Inoichi said, "Because of our new transfer student's valor and bravery from a mission originally assigned to Chunin-ranked individuals, Naruto Ayase deserves the honor of becoming a genin. Congratulations." And the Yamanaka bestowed Naruto the cloth and iron headband with a spiraling leaf.

"But that's not fair!" one of the other students complained, "How come he gets to wear the headband? He didn't even enter the exams!"

But the Yamanaka jonin silenced them, warning them that there are no whiners in the line of duty. For the next 3 months, all of the genin trainees were ordered to be given the real training to see if they're really cut out for ninja duties and get to be assigned with a proper Jonin.

So the trainees were sent to Training Ground 01: The "Reserves" Training Camp to visit before actually get schooled in there, starting Monday. Saturday and Sunday are the best days to pack their training gear, whatever undergarments they can wear, and to say goodbye to friends and family because the Reserves camp will likely break down a very sensitive person who wasn't ready to handle the real hard-knock life as a ninja soldier.

 _(TG01 is like most military camps, including the real discipline (unlike Iruka's faulty methods) to prove that the top sergeants (or high-leveled Chunin ranked) can make real militia out of the trainees. The location is like a cross between an regular army base including all of the fixings fit for a "one size fits most" kind of soldier, and the obstacle courses based from the "Sasuke/Kunoichi" competitions from the mainland, including their version of Midoriyama.)_

 **-NUS:G-**

Before Naruto was sent along with the students to TG01, he was given a message from Itachi and Izumi to brief about what the situation is unfolding between the two lands. The Uchiha also showed Naruto a technique [Multi-Shadow Double Art] meant for users for with high energy potential, but warned him not to overdo with the art, or else he'll start getting splitting headaches from multiple memories of the doubles implanting into his head.

"But why give me this art?" the Ayase asked.

"Because Minato and Kushina should have known better than to treat you with such contempt," Izumi replied, "And besides that, you treat Satsuki far better than my little brother-in-law."

 _(To elucidate this, the relationship between Izumi (an adopted member of the Uchiha Clan, meaning no relation to Itachi or Sasuke's family) and Satsuki is a bit of a long story. After the massacre was slightly averted, Satsuki is without her parents and her uncle Fugaku, and Izumi decided to take her in as a little sister figure.)_

"And my little brother has sworn to kill me after my involvement of taking out the instigators, including my late father and most of my relatives," Itachi explained, "I just wish that I didn't have to break Sasuke's and dear mother's hearts after what I've done to him."

Naruto felt sorry for what had happened to the Uchiha families. He hopes that Wakame and her family doesn't end up on the wrong end of the business and perhaps find a way back home for himself.

Then Itachi and Izumi gave Naruto some books delivered from the mainland to help Naruto self-study after missing out his tenure in Junior High.

Both companies then parted ways as Naruto went back to his apartment and to set things right for Wakame's parents.

 **-NUS:G-**

The next day, Naruto takes Wakame out for an outing in the park and for taste of crêpes. He told his youngest sister that he and Mirin are going away for a while after being inducted into the ninja corps.

"You can't do this, onii-tan, dattéwaka!" the nearly 4 year old Namikazé cried, "Wakame dodn't want to weave you with those guys!"

"I know it's hard, Waka-chan," Naruto comforted the crybaby, "But Big Brother has to do his part to support many families. But don't worry. Big Brother will be there to help you. Now will you be good while I'm away?"

"Bes (Yes)!" Wakame said with teary eyes and a runny nose as Naruto gave her a couple of tissues to help with her little problems.

And after they finished their snacks, Naruto and Wakame walked towards the swing set and the memory of how Haruka kept showing in his mind as he helped his little sister onto a kiddie seat and pushed her with the greatest of ease. No siblings, like them, were ever happier together in this wonderful moment together.

After a few minutes of swinging together, Naruto decided to head back to the Uzumaki-Namikaze residence to bring Wakame back to her parents. However, that moment was interrupted when he saw someone who is trying to pass off as "himself" ran with a giant scroll in his arms and ran past the siblings.

The real Naruto suspects that somebody is trying to frame him, so he summons a Shadow Double and ordered him to take little Wakame home, but also to look sharp for anybody who's likely to pursue him.

"Ho (Sir!)" the double replied as he takes Wakame while the original secretly chase the imposter.

 **-NUS:G-**

Minato called a Code-Red emergency meeting as about 50 high-ranking ninja were assembled to the Village Square. "Quiet, everyone! I know it's getting late, but we have serious urgent news. Naruto has been seen, breaking into the Secret Vault and have killed the guards patrolling it. He somehow stole the Forbidden scroll and escaped somewhere in the city limits."

The crowds were clamoring and raving for the execution of the Outsider, but Minato declared, "Enough! I want everyone of you to find and capture Naruto alive until further notice. And if you do otherwise, the "supreme penalty"."

* **Duu~m dum-dum dum** *

It made the crowd cringe at the ugly results of becoming a live donor, should they really goof up.

"Now go!"

"Sir!" the possé of ninja responded and scrambled to find their quarry.

Meanwhile, Naruto overheard the Kage's orders and figured that the only likely place to hide is in the abandoned shack near a grove in the outskirts of Konoha. It's an out-of-the-way spot where some people, mostly ne'er-do-wells hang about as a checkpoint before heading off to a different region. So off Naruto went to search for their lost scroll.

 **-NUS:G-**

At the shack near a different part of the forest, the Naruto imposter wiped the blood off himself and undid his transformation art, revealing that it was Mizuki (the whole time) during the commission. He, along with Iruka, and an accomplice: a disowned member of the Inuzuka clan, Ken'ichi (a wanted-nin and fugitive, who also happened to be Tsume's ex-husband and the father of Hana and Kiba) were planning on moving towards Otomura to meet in the headquarters of S.N.A.P. (The "Secret Networking Association of Partakers") and deliver it to whomever buys it from the Black Market.

But while the trio of plotters were holed up in the shack, 2 canisters (1 full of tear gas and 1 smoke bomb) and one flash grenade were thrown together through the open window, releasing its contents and the only window hatch was closed. Ken'ichi got the worst of it, thanks to his animalistic sense of smell, Mizuki tries to find a way out in this blinding coffin, but was still blinded by the flashing effect and from the tear gas. Iruka managed to find the only door in the shack and all 3 managed to escape, gasping for some fresh air. But as they were catching their breath, Naruto and his doubles caught the unsuspecting trio by surprise and pounced them with a stomp to the ribs.

(Iruka is knocked out.)

Ken'ichi got enraged and tried to pull a [Tornado Fang] against Naruto, but stopped by Naruto's throwing of an ordinary pebble, followed by a good right hook to the face, knocking the rabid dog out, along with some of his teeth..

Mizuki, the only abled member left, is incensed that a lowly streetrat have managed to follow him so easily.

"I just caught you with your [plans] down," Naruto sarcastically commented before getting serious, "Now talk. Who are you really working for?"

"Like I would tell you, Nokémono!" Mizuki growled as he made Naruto jump back as he then pulled out a vial from his tool pouch and drank it. The Chunin's muscles began to spasm and expand, making him very bulky. "This is the power of one of Orochimaru's experiments and now I have the power to squish you like a measly grape!"

And he pulls a few powered punches to land on Naruto, but the smaller Ayase managed avoid getting whomped as Mizuki demonstrated on a nearby tree, making it fall to the ground. And whenever Mizuki thought he landed a blow on his prey, Naruto substituted with a log, while taking a bit from the impact.

And when the Ayase noticed that Mizuki is beginning to slow down from the vial's effects wearing off, so he taunted, "What's the matter? Was the steroid therapy too much for you? You don't make a good He-man."

"Shut up, wretched outsider!" Mizuki gasping for breath, "You are nothing more than an unwelcome demon who cursed us into a great depression! I'll gouge your eyes and stuff them up your nose!"

"Ah, go stuff a hamburger, stupid!" Naruto countered as prepares to make his move as Mizuki throws his big shuriken at him, ready to slice the Ayase to ribbons.

Naruto jumped out of the way and the star was lodged to the shack's outer wall. Then the Ayase pulled a quick [Slide Kick] to Mizuki's knee, shattering it, causing the musclebrained teacher to collapse as Naruto socked him to the chin, knocking him out.

Naruto realized that the doping vial Mizuki used gave the user big muscles on the torso and arms, but puts a serious strain to his legs, lower back, and possibly his intelligence as the steroid started to break down.

He tied up the three culprits with cuffs and special rope to prevent them from doing any resistance and fired a flare gun (made from the parts he put together plus one of the ninja flares) and shot it in the air, signaling the ANBU to arrive.

During the waiting time, Naruto peeked into the Forbidden Scroll and read about different jutsu that makes it "forbidden" for a reason. He uses the Shadow Doubles to copy the scroll for further examination with not one iota out of place. But while they nearly reached the end of the scroll, they came across a seal that started to glow as the Original unsealed the pattern and a uniquely, different, smaller scroll with a message attached to it that said,

* * *

To the person who read this,

 _Congratulations. You are the rightful Uzumaki that have uncovered my secret._

 _By the way, if you're reading this, then my worst fears have came true._

 _For many years, people that we were supposed to trust have become full of greed and jealousy as they tried to steal our work for their own selfish gains. I feared that our clan is going to be killed off or be exiled from our homeland, taking our hard-earned results and never share them rightfully with their fellow men._

 _For that, I place a geis on those who don't appreciate our work to anyone (including those claiming to be rightful members of the Uzumaki clan)._

 _However, I bestow upon you the real potential as a true Uzumaki warrior._

* * *

Naruto felt a strange surge of energy as the memories of the lost Uzumaki Arts have awakened his potential. He then reads more of the letter,

* * *

 _Remember, it's not about the powerful techniques, the riches, nor the things money can buy._

 _It's about keeping the faith that entrusted to us by our distant ancestors of the legacies of the Ohtsutsuki family, the predecessors of the Uzumaki, Senju, Uchiha, and the Hyuga clans. And it will still affect you in the future._

 _Take good care of them._

 _._

 _Signed,_

 _Ashina Uzumaki, 18th Head Leader of the Uzumaki Clan_

 _._

 _P.S. - When you look for my magnum opus (final masterpiece), Zantetsuken, that my granddaughter Mito was entrusted with, it won't be rightfully wielded by those with truly impure intentions towards his or her fellow people._

 _Do not reveal the reason to anybody until the truth comes out in the by and by, dattébaki._

.

"I open at the close."

* * *

Naruto memorized the contents and then put the smaller scroll away in his pack as he furls the Forbidden scroll back up, dispelled the doubles and put away the finished projects and wait for the ANBU to show up. It usually take about 10 minutes to get from the town, all the way to shack, but to Naruto thinks that the secret squad is taking longer than usual.

30 minutes after the signal flare was fired, 3 of the ANBU members showed up: Cat (Yuugao), Hawk (Towa), and Tiger (Komachi).

"About time you showed, ya know," Naruto remarked that sloppiness of their timing, "I feel like you slow-mos wouldn't be able find my signal fast enough.

"Naruto Ayase, what is meaning of this?" ANBU Cat questioned, "You were wanted by the Kage for the murder of the the security guards and the robbery of the forbidden scroll. What have got to say for yourself?"

"I plead innocent, ANBU-san," he explained and told of his alibi of where he was the whole time. The Ayase also mentioned that he encountered the imposter along the way.

As the ANBU carted Ken'ichi and Iruka off to the Kage Office to await their punishment, Naruto mentioned, "You might want to give Mizuki-"sensei" a hospital stay immediately. He drunk off a vial containing a steroid concoction that is ruining his health and he also said that the formula was made by Orochimaru."

Cat noted the details as she and her comrades escorted the prisoners and Naruto back to Konoha.

 **-NUS:G-**

Back in the village square, the possé still hadn't found Naruto all night, as Minato came forth and said that the search is over and the boy is brought back by the ANBU alive, along with the prisoners.

On one hand, it's a relief that the Village's Secrets are safe; but the other hand, they still despise Naruto, enough said.

 **-NUS:G-**

In the hospital, Tsunade was checking Mizuki's exams and found that it was indeed one of Orochimaru's experiments that he consumed, but the Snake-man explained, "That Mizuki shouldn't have swiped my muscle-building elixir. It's for those whose muscles were being atrophied from malnutrition. I still hadn't got it quite right yet. Every time I tried that on the experimental animals, they always end up getting their skeletal structures fractured and later end up dying from an exploding heart, caused by too much bloodflow within a few hours upon drinking. Always. At least, you gave him the antigen I made for you."

"You're a terrible man," Tsunade shamed.

"Back... to the old drawing board," Orochimaru defeatingly shrugged.

 **-NUS:G-**

Back at the Kage's office…

"Naruto, tell me the truth!" Minato demanded an answer, "Did you or did you not break into the Vault, stole the Forbidden scroll, and killed the guards?"

"Positively not," Naruto replied, "I was with Waka-chan the whole time and ran across the imposter posing as me. So I personally sent her back to you and pursued the real culprits. They mentioned about a notorious company called S.N.A.P. trying to sell off your prized possessions."

"We're innocent!" Iruka begged, but Yuugao silenced him with a backhand slap and told her case to the Kage, "We couldn't find Naruto in the city limits, even in the alleyways. but when we saw a flare signal in the sky, we weren't sure if it's him or the said prisoners. So Hawk and Tiger assisted me to stop any more bloodshed within the crowd before we head towards Naruto's location where he subdued the suspects. He also told us of Mizuki's condition and that immediately saved his life. However, I doubt Mizuki would ever return to the line of duty, even with Tsunade and Orochimaru's help."

Minato sighed and said for the ANBU to put them in a holding cell before he has a talk with Naruto.

"Naruto, why didn't you tell us sooner? You could have been killed!" the Kage demanded.

But Naruto is still skeptical about the Kage's problems and he answered, "I would've been killed even if I told you. Your people were still plotting to kill me and Wakame would end up getting caught in the middle after I've been framed by those bastards, 'ttébayo! I have to take the risk of not getting caught by your rabid soldiers in order to what is necessarily right."

"But you could have waited, 'ttébané!" Kushina objected.

"And give myself away to both sides of opposition? The hell I wouldn't, worthless mother! Miki, Umino, and that Inuzuka mongrel would have escaped towards an enemy force because your stinking carelessness, dattébayo!"

Kushina flinched from her former son had called her.

"Now see here, Naruto!" Minato scolded, "That is no way to treat your mother!"

"Ha! Like the way you've done to me years ago, old man?" Naruto countered, "Getting back to the subject, I couldn't let the real suspects get away so easily, so I used what I have on hand to capture those wanted-nin alive." He explained how he took down Iruka first, then Ken'ichi, and finally Mizuki before using the homemade flare gun.

"It was the only way to get your rowdy scoundrels off my case. Murder, dattébayo. Ha!" he scoffed, "Can't you get a better excuse about talking things amicably with me?"

Minato and Kushina's plans for getting Naruto back into the fold have been dashed again as the Ayase demanded the payment for the urgent mission and the bounty for 3 more prisoners that will be sent to Torture & Interrogation (T&I) to make them talk about who is "S.N.A.P.".

"If I told you once, and I've told you a thousand times, you were never my parents the moment you listened to the wrong people and their cruddy advice," Naruto said before he left with a last bit of advice, "So who are you going trust? Me or your's and your people's lying eyes, dattébayo?"

Kushina sobbed at the moment the Ayase and Cat left the room.

Come Monday, the real training begins for the 30 students…

 **-NUS:G-**

Meanwhile, Sai reported to Danzo about Naruto passing the Preliminary Exam and his fame of capturing 6 nin within a whole weeks' time.

"Excellent," the bandage-wearing elder said, "I want you to keep a close eye on Naruto and his progress before I can make my move."

"Ho!" Sai responded and left the room.

"Soon this whole island and its riches will be mine for the taking. Heeheehee…"

 **-NUS:G-**

(The Taki Kunoichi trio, all experienced genin ranked, are revealed to be Hibiki, Fujiko, and Mitsuki (Team HiFuMi, as in 1, 2, 3) were subsequently returned back to Takiyama (located a several miles north of Konoha, to the west of Otomura) after the ransom was exchanged and were returned safely, warning the village to never do the crime of espionage at the risk of losing the alliance with Konoha again. The trio have learned their lesson from Anko (and Naruto) and decided to learn to be more feminine. Somehow, whenever they think about their former enemy Naruto, they think that the kid would grow up to be a lady-killer (the attractive kind) someday.)

(Mizuki Miki, Age 24, Rank: Chunin, Occupation: Teacher. Suffering from battle wounds, a fractured skeletal system, and a recent heart surgery. His ninja career is over. After being released from the hospital, he was later sent to the Strict Correctional Facility to serve his sentencing for a previously unsolved murder. RETIRE.)

(Iruka Umino, Age 24, Rank Chunin, Occupation: Teacher. Arrested for commission involving a robbery that turned into murder. His ninja license is revoked and was later sent to the Strict Correctional Facility for 20 years without parole until his jail sentence has been carried out. RETIRE.)

(Ken'ichi Inuzuka, Age 39, Wanted-Nin in connection with S.N.A.P. He was wanted by Konoha for many charges, including the abandonment of his wife and children. Sentenced to the Strict Correctional Facility and to pay restitution towards the people he had done wrongfully. RETIRE.)

To be continued…

* * *

A/N: The Main Story: I've taking this scenario from the manga perspective where Alistia (Alis in the way I spelled her, like the character from Phantasy Star) makes her earlier debut, but we'll see her again in a later schedule. I borrowed a bit from Siarnaq's dialogue, reverse-translate it into German and reimagine her "battle system".

My version for Alis' origins is likely this:

Alis is a descendant of a war project in that was halted after the Americans raided the facility and took the children away from what turned out to be a dangerous and foolish plans that the assassinated Fuhrer have plotted. That was Alis' great-grandmother.

However, the damage was done in her genetic system and her psyche. Whenever she, her good friends, or family were threatened with danger, they take whatever logical measures to pacify or eliminate the threat...

(Example: Rapists dared to sexually assault her person.)

Alis' great-grandmother and used inborn instincts (from her learning of martial arts and weapons training from the scientists) to combat the situation against the scoundrels without having the need to kill them.

She later married to an emigrated husband who move from Italy to Germany to start a new life.

Her dominant genetics made her children keep their fighting instinct whenever the need is necessary, as long as there was someone to teach them right from wrong.

However, there's particular problem: all from her generations were girls as they eventually married to their good husbands (as long as they behave themselves and stay true to their wives).

Alistia Rein was the current girl who was the most unfortunate in her family. 2 years prior to beginning of the story, she lost her family to an unfortunate circumstance and was almost ended up getting kidnapped by an agent of a sex trafficking ring, when Gentō and HELLHOUND were caught on to the Ring's little game and as they subdued the culprits, he ran into a dirtied and wild Alis who busted her kidnapper's head wide open before fainting from her malnourished health.

Gentō took the girl as part of the family and the workers helped clean and feed her with proper nutrition. Mika (12 at the time) came along with her mother and Haruka to give the poor girl some comfort and read her some stories (Alis liked the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales with pictures explaining the details) translated into Japanese, which made her smile and is rather attached to Mika as a big sister.

Of course, Alis doesn't understand Japanese very well and her inhibiting instincts are driving her mad, so the Nogizaka family sent her to the maids' quarters to help her learn Japanese, get a proper education, and to keep her fighting instincts under control.

Alistia Rein is now an 8th ranked maid that is a bodyguard and a Sabotage specialist that is cute and friendly whenever things are calm, and nearly deadly with a sword or with a spiked kanabo (similar to the Excalibolg from "Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan"), as well as keeping someone's temper under control.

She still has a long way to go about learning to live in a Japanese/European culture.

There's some notes I forgot to mention, whenever Naruto gives off a dirty look against both man and beast, the 9-tailed fox Kurama isn't really a bijuu (Tailed Beast) in this story; it's more like how Mr. Nogizaka gives off his Killer Intent in the form of a ferocious tiger.

You'll probably ask why I do the time duration difference in this version rather than the manga/animé scenarios. It just proves how some realism is played out in the story.

I added a twist to the ending part to make things in a more romantic setting, no sex was involved, but it adds a little flair to the scenario as well.

* * *

The Side Story:

I decided to start by using a "Have Gun, Will Travel" approach with Naruto quoting at the said person/the audience with a kunai pointing out at them.

Add a few different scenarios based from the Naruto timeline and there you have it. I try not to overuse the same scenarios that's been done in other stories.

* * *

Here's a few definition for those who couldn't distinguish the same sounding words:

Vile - evil, enough said

Vial/Phial - small glass containers holding a liquid substance

* * *

And the heat will be on!

-blukmage19


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _Isn't It Strange?_

 _Hazuki Has a Secret?_

§

It was another summer day for Naruto and the Nogizaka company as they were watching over Hazuki (the Nogizakas' 1st-Ranked maid), who is in the shopping district, on her own errands.

Mika (dressed in cognito as a Victorian-style detective) nearly gave herself away as Nanami (in mafia-style clothing). Haruka dressed in a green school uniform and a brown light trenchcoat, much like Shana (based from Shakugan no Shana, "Urusai, urusai, urusai!") and Naruto dressed as a street bum and transformed (with his ninja art to look less conspicuous) into a person based on his adoptive family's genetic makeup (black hair, eyeglasses, and a more Mongoloid appearance), and dubbed himself as "Yuuto", as they get a good, distant watch for their good friend while she is shopping.

How did this whole affair started in the first place?

Let us turn back the clock a few hours prior to the incident...

 **-NUS-**

[Nogizaka Mansion, Haruka's Room]

Naruto and Haruka are sipping their teacups as they were having a problem.

"So you called me to come over to talk about something, Haruka?"

"Oh, yes," Haruka replied as she and Naruto watched Hazuki started to develop some strange and unusual habits that made her freeze and fidget.

"If this is about Hazuki's sake, 'ttébayo. Have you asked her?"

"I tried, but… she said that it's nothing."

"Are you sure that you're not making too much of it?" Naruto questioned, for he knows that Hazuki, being an unflappable and infraggable head maid with a chainsaw, would end up being in a slump.

"Onii-san, I don't think Onee-chan's making too much of it." It was Mika who is rather miffed, with Nanami escorting her. "'ttaku! You could have invited us if you let us know!"

"You're right. I'm sorry," Naruto apologized, but then, he and Haruka are watching the younger sister and the 3rd Ranked maid go into a huddle, with another of their naughty presumptions.

"Onii-san prefers to be alone with Onee-chan, nyah~?" Mika speculated.

"Naruto-san's so energetic, even at this time of day~" Nanami swooned.

"This isn't what you think," Naruto tried to get the naughty presumptuous women's attention, but…

"Maybe he wants to do [*CENSORED*] energetically, right where everyone can see‽ Kyaaah~!"

"Naruto-sama's so perverted~! Kyaaah~!"

Haruka blushed madly at what she heard from sister and maid have said and was about to faint. That's Naruto set his foot down and said, "This isn't about us, dattébayo! So please, none of that! None of that."

Mika calmed herself and she sat down on the low couch near the table and agreeingly said, "Well, be that as it may, Hazuki-san is acting rather unusual lately."

"While it's a bit of a conjecture, I, too, have the same opinion~" Nanami also agreed to the subject, "Normally, if we were peeking on Hazuki-san that much, we'd have been found out~"

"Mika, what's really happening to Hazuki-san…?" Haruka wondered.

Mika replied, "Onee-chan, you really want to know the reason, too, don't you?"

"...well, yes."

"The point is that Hazuki is…" Mika was about to say something, but Naruto interrupted, "...right behind you?" He pointed to a curious Hazuki that surprised the girls as they were shocked by the head maid's appearance as Haruka fell back on Naruto and Mika clinging to her older sister in fright. They were also astonished by an unfazed Naruto and his uncanny senses.

Hazuki is holding a tray as she said, "Judging from your reaction from most of you at once was a bit of a start. Naruto-san is rather observant."

"Wh-what is it, Ha-Hazuki-s-s-san?" Haruka stuttered from her younger sister's sudden excitement.

"I brought you some tea and cakes, ojosama," the head maid answered as she put the teacups and slices of cake full of sliced strawberries. And she left the room.

Mika is trying to keep her composure together until she slumped over on the table with a feeling of being wasted on her mental status. "I could do without this all of the sudden," she lamented.

"Hazuki-san was right about you, Naruto-san~" Nanami sweetly remarked, "You must have ninja-like senses~"

"Well, anyway," Naruto decided to change the subject, "Mika-chan, what were you really going to say?"

"Oh, yeah! That," the younger sister started to explain, "It's about Hazuki-san. She is actually taking the afternoon off."

"It's only Sunday, and she said that she'd be going out somewhere," Nanami added.

"So, what about it?" Haruka asked.

Mika begin to chuckle mischievously and questioned her older sister, "You really wanna know? A wise person once said, "A woman must keep her secrets private.""

Haruka nearly coughed her tea out from the reactive shock from what her younger sister has said that almost frazzled her.

"The cause of whatever it is that's troubling her is a bit too private. So, at times like these, we should investigate those [privacies]."

"You sure about this?" Naruto curiously questioned.

Mika excitedly answered, "It sure is! Right, Onee-chan?"

Haruka is still nervously clattering with her teacup and stutteringly replied, "Ye…yesss. That's... right."

Naruto helped let Haruka put down her teacup easily as he helped calm her nerves down by rubbing her back and shoulders. Then he asked, "Don't you think that's a bit nosey for us to…"

Mika sipped her teacup and declared, "So that means we all follow her."

Naruto tried to make the younger Nogizaka listen to reason and he objected, "Wait a minute! What if Hazuki-san will…"

Again, Mika adamantly interrupted, "Onii-san, we'll just have to be very thorough about our forlorn head maid. I'm sorry, but time's running short, so it's best you step outside in the hall while we get dressed."

And Mika and Nanami booted the Ayase out of the room and tossed a bag full of street clothes usually made for homeless bums hanging out in the streets. Alis (8th-ranked maid) was curiously passing by as she helped Naruto.

"No peeking, okay?" Mika reminded before closing the door.

"Don't mind me, dattébayo," Naruto snarkingly murmured.

His clothes are simply being like a cross between the clothes of an older era and what stereotypical hobos wear, along with a beige bucket hat.

Naruto kindly asked Alis to look away for a moment as he put on his incognito costume, to which she obliged. As he uses the ninja art of the "Quick Change".

As Naruto finished changing within less than a minute, he and Alis couldn't help but overhear the conversation through the room as the sisters and Nanami were changing.

"Will Naruto-san be okay?"

"Alis-chan's helping, so he'll be fine."

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"Why didn't Hazuki-san discuss this with us?"

"Onee-chan?"

"If I… If I compare myself to Hazuki-san, I am but a child. But still, I wanted to be strong like her… Forgive me about this…"

"...All right."

Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit fascinated about Haruka wanting to be a bit more like her head maid after what she had done for her and Mika for much of their lives.

Alis helped put the cloth hat on Naruto and he thanked her.

After the girls and Nanami finished getting dressed, Naruto decided to do one last finishing touch as he mentioned about one of the Ninja Arts as he used a Ram kata to transform and disguise himself into somebody else. The disguised Naruto (AKA "Yuuto") even wore fake eyeglasses and used a different voice timbre to make him bit lower than his usual tenor voice.

Haruka wondered if there was a Yuuto in another life that done this form of deception before…

[In the canon universe]

Yuuto sneezed for a brief moment as if he didn't really know who was really talking about him as he tries to stay incognito in a different disguise while he and his company of girls and a maid were tracking a certain somebody...

[At the present time…]

And that was how the curious watch of Hazuki Sakurazaka started as the company had to endure the sweltering summer heat as they kept their distance from the head maid's watchful eyes.

Naruto and Haruka were hiding a street corner while Mika and Nanami were sidling against the Newspaper bin as they were busy chatting and giggling, getting themselves off-subject.

Mika and Nanami went on ahead to scout while Haruka told Naruto a few extra details about Hazuki, "Ever since I was little, Mika and I have spent more time with Hazuki-san than we did with our dear father and dear mother."

"Hazuki-san must have been a great nanny to you, I suppose," Naruto remarked, "But on the other hand, I just don't understand why weren't your parents spending more time with you and Mika-chan."

"?" Haruka wondered.

"...Oh, never mind, ya know. Let's hurry, Haruka."

And the twosome caught up with Mika and Nanami as they continue spying as they found the target walking into a plush animal store, named in English, "Alice's Wonderland".

"Hazuki-san really like stuffed animals," Haruka said, "She has many cute ones, including the bears, in her room."

"She doesn't look the type," Naruto disagreed while trying not to get too close with his Hawk Eye tool, but he still remember Hazuki in a bear suit from the Innocent Smile magazines, so...

A few minutes later, Hazuki exited the shop, with a big plush bunny in a sack.

"A bunny?" Haruka wondered, "It probably sleeps with her?"

She and Naruto imagined Hazuki in her sexy white nightclothes (skimpy panties, corset top, choker, stockings, and garterbelt), saying, "Good night."

But then the thought was interrupted when he noticed Nobunaga and Mahiro (Nobunaga's younger sister) passing by as the older brother noticed a girl in the Misaki High uniform, cosplaying as Shana. Naruto is starting to worry that his otaku friend is starting to ruin things at such an inopportune moment, but then, Nanami decided to trick Nobunaga by disguising her voice.

"Oh my! Isn't that the melodious voice of K*** U***?"

Nobunaga turned around and fell for the ruse and ran off to search for the said voice actress.

"Hey, nii-chan! Come back here! We still haven't finished our parents' errands yet!" Mahiro yelled as she chased her naïve older brother, but not before she apologized to Naruto and company as she started running off.

"I just wished that idiot could stand some discipline," Naruto sighed with a sweatdrop, "At least, Mahiro-chan knows how to keep things in line."

"Well, shall we press on?" Nanami chuckled.

 **-NUS-**

As the group kept watch over Hazuki, Mika and Nanami surmised that the head maid is probably having a man in her life.

Haruka felts anxious about her trusted head maid going off the deep end, but Naruto refuted, "We can't prove whether it's true or not, ya know."

Then Mika noticed Hazuki is heading towards the pet shop, checking out a tiny dog that looked pleasing to the Nogizaka sisters' eyes.

"It's a Chihuahua," Haruka squealed with her eyes gleaming with cuteness.

"It's so cute!" Mika exclaimed, "I wanna pet it, too."

But problem with the Chihuahua is that belonged to the shop owner, as Hazuki reluctantly leaves the shop and dashes away from the scene in a hurry.

Naruto realizes that he must have seen the real side of Hazuki.

 **-NUS-**

[At a different shopping center]

The party of four followed Hazuki going through a crowd to avoid detection. However, the real problem of the shop they were entering was actually a women's boutique complex; every kind of fashion associated with the womenfolk and is positively unsuitable for a man to be here. And sure enough, they spotted Hazuki in the lingerie store. Haruka doesn't understand why Naruto is blushing madly as he explains that these rows of shops are no place for a guy like him. He told them that he'll just wait outside to let the girls do their shopping and spying from here. But then Haruka asked if she wants to be with him outside.

"But you'll miss an opportunity for you to shop for what you wanted, Haruka," he warned, "You're sure want to come with me?"

Haruka obliged as she stuck with Naruto to wait for Mika and Nanami finish their little errand.

 **-NUS-**

[Outside of the shopping center]

Naruto and Haruka decided to wait outside to await for any further news about Hazuki. Naruto said, "This is practically my first time coming here, Haruka. Normally, that's where Mom, Ruko, and Yukari-sensei normally go to get their necessities, ya know."

And just when Haruka was about to reply, she and Naruto accidentally bumped into Shiina, as the Amamiya got knocked down onto her seat...again.

"I'm terribly sorry," Naruto said as he helped his distant relative up on her feet.

"Man, how thoughtless of you to run into me like that, ya know!" Shiina complained.

"Naruto, is that person who I think she is?" Haruka asked her friend.

Shiina wondered where Naruto was, and the disguised "Yuuto" briefly undid his Transformation Art to reveal his true identity as Shiina hugged Naruto. Haruka felt a unfamiliar sense of jealousy at Shiina's relationship with him.

"To think that we meet again, Shiina," Naruto said, "First in Akihabara, then in London, and now here, of all places."

"I could say the same thing about you," Shiina replied.

Then Naruto re-introduced Shiina to Haruka, "She's my distant maternal cousin originally from Hokkaido. We somehow keep meeting ourselves in such "unexpected" encounters, ya know."

Haruka felt relief as Naruto and Shiina are family to each other and not something else.

Then Shiina finally got a chance to shake hands with her famous opponent (that is Haruka) that had also won the Vienna Piano Competition for 2 years in a row, representing the country of Japan. The Amamiya then asked, "By the way, are you two in the middle of a date again?"

"Not really," he answered, "It's just that…"

"We're on a shopping trip with my little sister and the maids," Haruka filled in, "That's all."

Naruto explained that he decided to let Haruka spend some time with her family during the summer while his family (finally) managed to come back home from their long business trips, so he spent some time with them, as well.

"To think that your boyfriend and I ran to each other for the third time," Shiina thinking out loud, "Was that destiny or was that on purpose?" She gave off a playful wink at Naruto, trying to mess with him.

"Now where did you come off with an idea like that?" Naruto exclaimed with a sense of denial.

"I'm just kidding, okay," the Amamiya joked as she chatted with her cousin and Haruka about some things happening during the summer that happened with each other.

A few minutes later, Shiina said goodbye to Haruka, promising a good tidings in the next contest and to Naruto for the next meeting.

"That's my cousin for you, she may be a little impish, but she's an understanding soul. Please forgive me for the misunderstanding, ya know."

"I forgive you, Naruto-san," Haruka replied, "To tell you the truth, I was a bit jealous that you and Shiina getting along like you're more than just good friends."

"So what about our infiltrative investigation?"

"We'll just have to leave it to Mika and Nanami-san…"

Suddenly, Naruto has a message on his cellphone from Mika, saying that Hazuki is on the move. She said to take over while she and Nanami get some much needed undergarments at a sale price.

And sure enough, Naruto spotted Hazuki exiting the store, and he took Haruka to a nearby corner to not let themselves get caught.

It looks like they'll have to be on their own for a while.

 **-Naruto's Secret-**

Naruto and Haruka are walking across an overpass to see where Hazuki is going to next. The Nogizaka mentioned about the memories about the times she used to spend time with the head maid whenever she goes shopping, much different than the way they do it. Those were the days.

Naruto started to understand more about Haruka and her complicated life. However, cue the record scratch, when Yukari called out to Naruto as she comes stumbling in, absolutely zonked and drunk.

"I missed you!" the teacher slurred as she started to embrace her favorite student, "Oh~ You're such a bad boy for leaving your teacher all alone~ Hic!"

The foul stench of booze messes with Naruto's nose as he tries to pry the plastered Yukari off of him, "You stink of saké, Sen-se-i! What are you doing here, intoxicated at this time of hour?"

Yukari staggered and turned to Haruka, looking at her strangely and said, "*Hic!* Ah, it looks like you brought Nogizaka-san, I see. *Hiccup!* Naru-kun! Are you in an illicit sexual relationship with her~?"

"Sensei, You must be crazy on the bean with the liquor talking, ya know!" Naruto denied as he uses a Shadow Double to drag the blitzed up teacher back to the house to sober her up before she gets herself into bigger trouble.

"Oh~! What do you have to that for, Naru-kun? *Hic!* Sensei just wanted to join you two and have a 3P (Sanpi)! A 3P! Alright?" Yukari tried to bribe her student into something explicit.

"Oh, not on your life, sensei," the double refused, "It's the booze that must've giving you such outrageous ideas, ya know. I'm sorry, Sensei, but I'm going to give you an ice bath until you at least learn to slow down on your drinking!"

"No~!" Yukari yelled as the double dragged the inebriated drunk down the stairs, far away from her students' sights.

"Naruto-san," Haruka curiously asked, "What's a "3P"?

"You really want to know?" the original Naruto warningly questioned. And he whispered into Haruka's ear that a "3P" is really a threesome; not a best example of a good relationship between lovers.

Haruka blushed and understood what "threesome" really was.

 **-NUS-**

[Later]

Naruto and Haruka was forced to miss Hazuki after Yukari's distraction until they spotted her at the café where she is sipping a teacup, so they decided to sit near the fence to wait it out. Naruto uses his double to order themselves a sandwich for two, to go, and Haruka appreciated the generous offer.

Incidentally, while they were eating, Haruka mentioned that she used to go to the café once before. She said that this particular place serves the most excellent tea in a local place, so she and Hazuki went there. The tea that the head maid prepared is very good, but she vigorously took notes, as if she wasn't confident with her abilities. To Haruka, it's amazing how Hazuki put so much effort for the many things she tried.

"That's true," Naruto commented, "I'm sure even the best of us make some of the simple mistakes. And that's what makes us human."

"Oi," a woman called out to the twosome, and that woman turned out to be Ruko, in her secretary work clothes, "Oh, it's you, Naruto. What are you doing in such drabby clothes?"

"Just seeing what it's like to be dirt poor, I guess," Naruto sarcastically remarked, "But what about you? It's a bit early for a lunch break, isn't it?"

"I was called out here by the company president while I was dozing off," the older Ayase answered as she crossed her arms in a serious manner, "The company's on the edge of getting sued for some outrageous allegations, so I asked to implement some counter-measures or something like that."

Naruto find his older sister's answers a little hard to believe. Then Ruko noticed Haruka and asked who she is and then said, "You must be one of Yuuto's friends but you do look familiar."

Haruka glanced at Naruto in nervousness as Naruto explained, "This is Haruka, Onee-chan. We've been good friends since we transferred to Hakujoh High.¹

"I see, then," Ruko surmised, "You must be the young lady who you forced into giving into your desires and sexual excitement, right, little brother?"

"Ruko-oneechan‽" Naruto exclaimed while he and Haruka blushed blood-red, "We haven't gotten that far yet!" He still reminded himself and Haruka about the set-up that Mika and Nanami had planned, the time they stayed in London. They almost went a bit too far from both the bath incident and the times they were "forced" to sleep together on both the couch and the bed like a married couple (with nothing involving things sexual, but are still romantic). That part was kept a secret.

Then Ruko explained to her little brother, "Naruto, there are stuff that happens to teenagers in relationships that jumped off the deep end too soon… As your older sister, I can't really condone that."

"Will you just listen to me, ya know‽" Naruto tried to object.

"You shouldn't raise your voice like that. It's rude."

"And who's fault was that, ya know‽" Naruto pointed out.

After a slight pause, things started to calm down as Ruko apologized, "Sorry about that, I must've let my imagination run a little too wild there." She introduced herself to Haruka.

Haruka likewise did the same, albeit a little bit nervous, "My name is Haruka Nogizaka. Eto… Naruto-san and I are in the same class for the last year and a half… We have been friends for longer than that..."

"Yeah, what she said," Naruto agreed.

Ruko began to understand the gist of the situation started to look at Haruka leeringly, making her feel anxious. Naruto went in front of Haruka and said, "Onee-chan, please!"

Ruko relented and said, "Actions do speak louder than words. Nogizaka-san?"

"Eh...yes?" Haruka responded.

"I'm counting on you to look after Naruto. He's a decisive, reliable idiot, but he's still my valuable baby brother. I'd be dead he weren't around… And Naruto? Take good care of your friend, too."

"Big sister…" Haruka felt moved by Ruko's sympathies.

"Onee-chan, are you really being honest with us?" Naruto snarkingly asked as he shamed, "The trouble with you is that you can handle a katana, but you never even touched a pot, pan, or knife of any sort, ya know. You just like me for my cooking skills, that's all."

Ruko pulled a drop kick on Naruto as he took the fall upon landing.

"Don't make fun of your older sister when she's being earnest," Ruko chided as she got back on her feet.

"It's true, Onee-chan," Naruto groaned from a hard landing, "Show me that you can do housework and I'll be certain that you're truly being earnest."

"What a mouth…" the older sister pouted.

Then Naruto remembered something, "Oh yes, we ran into Yukari-sensei along the way, completely half-shot."

"Oh, that's right, we had a wine-tasting test event," Ruko explained, "I asked Yukari to come by, but after she got drunk, I had no clue where she went."

Naruto and Haruka mentioned to Ruko about how they ran into their floozy teacher and Naruto managed to drag her to his house to sober her up.

"In any case, I'm counting on you, Nogizaka-san," Ruko said to Haruka, "To see him with a girl like you makes me feel such relief."

"Y...yes," the Nogizaka obliged.

"And Naruto, don't worry about making dinner tonight, 'cause I'll get my boss to treat me on something exquisite."

Then Ruko parted ways with Naruto and Haruka.

"I so want to be that way, Naruto-san," Haruka enthrallingly said, as she imagined being in Ruko's shoes about being a secretary and a debutante of a company president, and a good sister to Naruto.

"That's what worries me," Naruto dismally said, "You haven't seen half of what Onee-chan's does for her living, Haruka. But then again, we can't all be winners."

Haruka understood what Naruto meant as they clasp their hands together to make them renew their determination as close friends.

¹ - Taken place at around the time Naruto just returned from his ordeal in the Chakra Islands and when Haruka was humiliated at the all-girls' Senior High by a certain arrogant bitch in the first month. They were arranged by Gentō to come to Hakujoh to start over their lives as new students in the Academy; it also takes place before the friendship of Naruto and Haruka took one step further.

 **-NUS-**

Hazuki left the café as Naruto and Haruka trailed near a corner near a soda machine. They know that Nanami and Mika are likely busy trying on some more lingerie, and aren't helping the situation much.

To avoid getting too conspicuous, they bought a few cold drinks from the machine to follow up with their sandwiches and resumed their watch.

And as they looked out, they noticed that Hazuki is standing in a small shopping complex that looked like a where a man (a store manager) was asking her to come inside, and the head maid never looked this happy in front of the public (but not in front of her gentry).

"Who is this man?" Haruka wondered, "Is he Hazuki-san's…?"

"I don't know for sure, Haruka," Naruto uncertainly said as they saw the target made her entry inside the shops.

So the twosome moved closer to and found that the place is a bridal shop (Sekiyama Bridal) on one floor. Haruka presumed that Hazuki and the mystery man are probably getting hitched, but Naruto also noticed that there's a hardware store in the next floor above the bridal shop (Metal Shop Jason); it's the nagging doubt that has been bothering him.

But then, Haruka remembered the precious moments with Hazuki as she told Naruto a very important detail, "Naruto-san, Hazuki-san has attended to our needs, Mika and I, since we were little. Back then, our ages weren't that different, and she often played with us. *sigh* Even though she was busy with other work, she always looked out for us…"

 _-Flashback-_

[About 10 years ago]

Hazuki Sakurazaka, before she became the head maid (1st Ranked), she had her hair in a different fashion, with braids. She was assigned by Gentō with an important assignment.

"Me…?" Hazuki questioned.

"That's right," Gento answered, "You are to attend Haruka from now on tomorrow. Of course, you can easily handle the duties you've been doing so far. She's very obedient and isn't troublesome to handle. And she's as cute as a doll. Hazuki, take care of my daughter."

Hazuki then made a silent vow to herself, ::These hands...are here to envelope you. My desire...is to save you. Your faults...will be my faults. Your happiness...will be my happiness.::

And she went to Haruka's room for the first time in meeting the little girl.

Later, Haruka (in her oversized nightclothes and cap) asked her father about something at her grade school tomorrow, but her father told his eldest daughter that he has business matters to attend, because one of his company staff members make a serious [mistake] and he has to fix that [mistake]. Haruka cried because she promised her father that he would come, but he couldn't. It also broke Hazuki's heart, too, because she empathized with her master's daughter's feelings of the emptiness not having Gentō and Akiho to spend quality family time together.

Then, Haruka is in her bedroom, praying to God to help her work harder on her studies, learn to eat some things that she doesn't like, try her utmost with the piano, among other things to become a better person. But she fervently prayed that her parents would come back home to spend time with Mika and herself, if only for a moment.

Then she heard a knock on the door. It was Hazuki waiting at the other side. She quickly wiped her tears and let the maid inside and said, "Ano… I'm sorry. Was I being too noisy…? I'll be careful from now on..."

"Excuse me for being so late in the evening, Haruka-sama," Hazuki apologized as she was carrying a bunch of her personal collection of stuffed dolls that have a lot of names that she is willing to share with.

Young Haruka couldn't understand what in the world is going on and the maid lowered herself to Haruka's young 3½ foot height and sadly confessed, "I'm being selfish."

"?" Haruka wondered why her maid is feeling sad for her young mistress.

"My hands and my heart belong to you, Ojo-sama."

"But why?" Haruka asked, "What are you trying to say, Hazuki-san?"

The maid caresses her young mistress's cheek and said, "This is me being selfish. Your suffering, sadness, and as much as possible - your happiness… I want to feel them all. So please, be yourself and tell me. Let me be your burden."

Haruka couldn't help but cry from the misery she was living in, without her father and mother tending to her needs as their daughter. Hazuki willingly decided to take their place as her nanny.

A few minutes later, Hazuki tucked little Haruka into bed, helping her give some unbridled support to her as she goes to sleep.

And from then on, Hazuki decided to take Gentō and Akiho's places whenever they're absent in Haruka's important parental class visits and whatever some days that the young mistress needs a helping hand.

 _-End Flashback-_

"...after that, she'd read me and Mika a book at bedtime. She'd be with me wherever I went. I truly love Hazuki-san like she's my own mother… *sniffle* Naruto-san, am I really such a heavy burden for Hazuki-san…?"

Haruka felt agony and angst over her dear friend and head maid being there for her, Mika, and the Nogizaka household throughout most of her life. But then Naruto put his hands over Haruka's shoulders and said, "Haruka, you are never such a burden to Hazuki-san. She is who she is, like you're still you, after all. She's kind, considerate, a little daffy at times, but your head maid is still a great person. And I admire her, too, ya know."

"Naruto-san…" Haruka felt relief from her best friend's comforting advice as she regained her determination and resume the watch.

But just as they were about to enter mini-complex building, a woman (that is, the manager) from the bridal shop asked them to be their volunteers for a urgent business matter.

Naruto was dressed in a groom's formal suit as the shop manager explained, "We can't start our project without the bridegroom."

"Why us?" Naruto asked.

"We saw from inside that you were all looking rather serious about something, so we decided to let you play the role of love cupids for the other couples to see."

"Sorry I asked," he murmured, but then he hears the sound of the knocking on the door.

"Oh, and it looks like the "bride" has finished getting ready," the manager said as she lets Haruka inside, all dressed up and trussed up to be like a real bride.

"Gorgeous…" Naruto whispered in amazement at the way his girl-friend looked.

"Umm," Haruka muttered anxiously, "Th-that tuxedo looks really good on you, Naruto-san. You look handsome."

Naruto slightly blushed at the compliment.

"Um… well… do I look strange to you?"

"No," he said, "It's beautiful. You look bea-u-tiful, ya know."

"Thank you," Haruka blushed with a sense of happiness.

The manager's eyes started to bright up as she saw not only a goddess but also a god worthy enough to be an Aphrodite and Adonis to be shot on a photograph.

It's an embarrassing development, but Naruto and Haruka did their best to smile for the camera as they became temporary models for the new lineup in bridal fashion.

 **-NUS-**

[At Nightfall]

Naruto and Haruka arrived back at the Nogizaka mansion to take some much needed rest on the couch from all the ventures they have been through. Surprisingly, Hazuki arrived ahead of them as she was asked by Haruka for a serious questioning. "What is it you would like to talk to me about?" she asked.

Haruka took courage and said, "Umm… Hazuki-san, you seemed bothered about something lately."

"Why do you say that?"

"You've been rather distant today. You could have at least talk to somebody about this."

"No, I didn't think that it was something like this was important enough to tell you about."

"Th-that's not true! It's something that you find important. If it's important for you, Hazuki-san, then it's important for us too!"

"Haruka-sama…"

"Please don't worry so much about us. If it is your wish to do so, we will support you, Hazuki-san. I hope you find happiness to the man you're in love with."

"?" Hazuki wondered what the fuss was about as Naruto stated, "We saw you with a man enter the shopping complex. Was it the bridal shop?"

Hazuki was astonished at what Haruka and Naruto had said, so she cleared the situation up, "That wasn't the case. You see, I only went to Jason's on the floor above the bridal shop."

"The hardware store‽" the twosome exclaimed.

"Yes, My prized chainsaw's sharpness was starting to wear out, so I was worrying whether to replace it with the damascus steel chain or not."

"S-so that man was…?" Haruka questioned.

"He's the hardware store's manager," Hazuki explained, "I'm a regular customer there, so he went out of his way to meet me."

Naruto and Haruka explained to themselves that they got the situation all wrong and the latter apologized to the former, "Please forgive me, Naruto-san. I clearly went overboard about Hazuki-san…"

"So am I," he apologized, "I, too, jumped to one of those conclusions, ya know."

They then apologized to Hazuki for their mistake.

"Thank you very much," the head maid said, "Please raise you heads. The fact that you were worried about me fills my heart with gladness."

Haruka started to tear up from what had happened, and Hazuki wiped away her tears and say, "Please don't cry. To see Haruka-sama's sadness pains me a lot. After all, to see the smiling faces of you makes me feel happy."

"Hazuki-san… *sniffle* Hazuki-san!" Haruka cried as she hugged her dearest friend and maid with tears of joy. Naruto is glad that is over with and Haruka is glad of it, too.

But suddenly, Mika and Nanami opened the double doors to make their appearance.

"We're home!"

"We sure are~"

The younger Nogizaka and the 7th Ranked maid were carrying sacks full of lingerie.

Naruto turned to them and suspiciously said, "Oh-ho… So you forgot about Hazuki-san and have gone shopping, ya know?"

Nanami sweatdropped at the confrontation and Mika gave off a nervous chuckle and confessed, "Surprise surprise..." And she took out a few boxes of lingerie and present them to her older sister. Haruka is embarrassed that Mika had to show the boxes in front of Naruto as she got off of the couch and grabbed the box, but inadvertently dropped the bridal shop photo in the mayhem. Mika picked up the photo and showed it to the culprits, "And how did you end up in this?"

"My, my, my~" Nanami expressed

"Mi-Mika! Give it back!" Haruka yelled as she tried to take her photographic memory. Naruto is also slightly embarrassed about the situation the little sister put him through.

"Oh~, I was wondering what you two were up to," Mika curiously said, "So you went the extra mile, weren't you, Onii-san?"

"Oh, my, my~ Mayhaps in the future, we will be serving Naruto-sama as well~?"

"Well done, you two," Hazuki gave her condolences.

"Hazuki-san, not you too!" Naruto exclaimed, feeling like he and Haruka are on the spot for a serious blackmailing.

.

That was another day in the summer in the Nogizaka family, and Naruto is caught in the middle of all this.

"At least, I won't regret this moment together, dattébayo."

"You said it, Naruto-san."

§

To be continued...»

»-Line Break-«

 **Side Story**

 _Naruto's Chronicles in The Chakra Islands Part 4_

 _"This used to be one of the prettiest towns in the Chakra Islands, now that mobsters have taken over. And if you don't stop them, there won't be even a stick left standing."_

 **-NUS:G-**

3 months have passed…

Of the 30 candidates that graduated the Ninja Academy, only 11 plus a dog have passed.

Shino Aburame

Choji Akimichi

Naruto Ayase

Sai Gashi

Sakura Haruno

Hinata Hyuga

Kiba Inuzuka & Akamaru

Shikamaru Nara

Satsuki Uchiha

Mirin Uzumaki-Namikaze

Ino Yamanaka

Yakumo was forced to be held back by Kurenai Yuhi, Minato Namikaze, and Unkai Kurama (Yakumo's Uncle) because of them forcibly "trying keep her inner demons under control", to which Naruto caught on to their "little game" and he liberated the residence and rescued her from a life of misery.

Kurenai and Minato felt ashamed for hindering a potential kunoichi back and Unkai suffered severe burns to the 3rd Degree when Yakumo's Id (which goes by Mokuya, Yakumo syllabically spelled backwards) began to show itself and protected its other self. She's currently staying at the apartment complex where the Ayase lived, at a neighboring room, and is starting in the Med-Nin program (under the supervision of Shizune Kato) before rejoining her generation after the first Chunin Exam.

Sasuke was rejected by the Genin standards because of several mental obsessive issues; particularly for the swearing of his older brother Itachi and (later) his cousin Satsuki's deaths and for not getting things handed over on a silver platter, thinking that he's deserving with the thing that aren't rightfully his. He was to be ordered to be taken mental evaluations by a licensed psychiatrist (who is also a competent Yamanaka) or else, he'll have to look for himself another job. The elder and civilian councils (including Sakura and her parents) objected and blatantly refused to drop their "precious prince" out of the ninja program, even though he completed the «Ninja Warrior» courses (albeit a little lagging behind Naruto's fastest run of all three courses). But the instructors still veto'd the idea, because Sasuke couldn't and wouldn't cooperate with his fellow classmates and teachers, ergo, why his overall quality in skills is lacking.

(Not if the civilian and the elder Councils have to say about it…)

 **-NUS:G-**

The genin were assigned 3-person squad teams to an assigned Jonin, except for Naruto and Mirin who act like a 4th extra member.

With Kakashi Hatake:

Satsuki Uchiha

Sakura Haruno

Sai Gashi

Satsuki tch'd as she was assigned with her cousin's fangirl, the wonder-girl in the sidelines, and the paleface artist. She'll just have to get used to it.

Sakura yelled as she was incensed that this is a mistake, being assigned with Satsuki and not Sasuke, but Naruto quickly shut her up with a [Volume Control Seal] placed on the back of her neck as she was wondering what the matter with her voice.

(Naruto and the other students chuckled mischievously at the Haruno's new misery.)

Sai supposed to himself to get used to "Ugly" (Sakura) and "Super-ego" (Satsuki) for a while, without getting himself into trouble.

With Kurenai Yuuhi:

Hinata Hyuga

Kiba Inuzuka & Akamaru

Shino Aburame

Hinata arrogantly bosses her newfound partners to get her own way (in other words, she's just despicably selfish). Kiba (now much cleaner) growls at Hinata and her annoyances, demanding that he's the alpha of the group. Shino just kept his thoughts to himself as he has to get along with 2 of the academy's biggest egotistical partners.

With Asuma Sarutobi:

Ino Yamanaka

Shikamaru Nara

Choji Akimichi

Ino (now 50% nicer and plumper from her dad's disciplinary actions) has to become an essential member of the next generation of the Ino-Shika-Chou. Shikamaru complained a little less, thanks to his mother's teachings and warnings from the deadliest weapon in the house: the cast-iron frying pan (the only way to fry).

Choji started eating out more fruits and veggies into his diet, at Naruto's suggestion, because he feared that he and his family would suffer diabetes from eating out so much. Now he isn't so unhealthy, but it's a start.

With Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze:

Mirin Uzumaki-Namikaze

Mirin is being proud of herself being trained (and favored) by her mother. However, Kushina isn't really a pushover to let her eldest daughter arrogantly go against her future opponents and challenges with a mindset like hers. Mirin just has to face the music somehow...

With Anko Mitarashi:

Naruto Uzumaki

For the first few days, Naruto refused to join Mirin and Kushina as their fellow student because he has demonstrated some better abilities (chakra adamantine chains, sealing arts (demonstrated on Sakura), wrestling moves that he learned on TV, and a display of better tactics) than what they and Minato had planned for him. So Anko willingly took the job as a proper jonin with her 1st genin candidate that already passed her trial at the TG44: finding some lost weapons left behind by the unfortunate corpses to keep the forest friendlier for 3 days straight.

Since the last 4 months of forcibly staying in Konoha, Naruto has to wake up, with a mostly naked Anko on his bed.

"You're not gonna tempt me, vile temptress, ya know!"

"Gotta keep you on your toes, little brat!"

And this happened every morning ever since the return from TG01.

Of course, Anko was only teasing her student because she knows that his heart is already belonged to somebody else that she couldn't quite put her finger on. So she treats her neighbor and student like her younger brother that she never had in her life as an only child. (At least Naruto liked the dango that Anko brought from the nearby teahouse. Provided that he didn't overdo on eating them.)

 **-NUS:G-**

For the next couple of weeks, Naruto trained his fighting form, whatever weapons that are doable and usable and his Uzumaki chains to whatever means necessary.

He got himself better tools and throwable weapons leftover from the TG44 to prevent anybody else (man or beast) to trip over and hurt one's self, and he also goes to Rimu Ten-Ten's place, the Higurashi shop, at a reasonably fair price on good quality needs. He also got along rather well with Ten-Ten and her adoptive family after they heard about their customer's notoriety against the other shops.

(Ironically, Ten-Ten's surname has the same spelling in Mandarin Chinese as her adoptive parents' Japanese names in Kanji: the Higurashis.)

 **-NUS:G-**

After completing a few rather boring D-rank missions (the kind that even civilians can operate them), Naruto was given an urgent request to assist Kakashi's team. They ran into a rogue-nin named Zabuza Momochi who was hired by Gato of Gato Industries, a sinister company known to be smuggling illicit goods, illegal drugs and opioids, and human trafficking, leaving the district of Namimura in a deep rut, even the mayor has very little money.

So Naruto consented to go to Namimura to assist Kakashi's squad. And he and Anko left the village to catch up with their fellow compatriots. However, along the way, they spotted 2 suspicious-looking puddles in the shade...in the middle of a hot summer that hasn't rained in a while. So Naruto took the initiative to use his chains to tie up the enemy-nin like a lasso, "Get over here!" And he and Anko busted them right in their noses.

After tying the 2 Chunin, revealed to be Gozu and Mezu - The Demon Brothers (from Kirimachi), as they confessed that the one named Kakashi took a bunch of kids through another route, while they waited for their prey because of the warning of incoming backup, so they have the Anko and Naruto right where… the enemy wanted them.

Naruto and Anko summoned their Shadow Doubles to send the Demon Brothers to Konoha to be processed for information and then to the bounty office on their tabs until their return. And the doubles obeyed and dragged the Chunins' sorry butts away.

And after taking a shortcut along the lake by water-walking (or rather water-skimming) to the other side. And they later found traces of a recent battle and a lot of wet spots and what appeared to be some needles like the ones used in medical, Hunter, and ANBU practices, along with some blood.

"Let's hope it's not our guys' blood," Naruto surmised and Anko agreed as they went ahead to the desolate town of Namimura.

 **-NUS:G-**

Namimura was once a nice place to live a few years ago: people of all castes work together without the need for ninja soldiers…

That is, until Gato's Enterprise came along and raided the vicinity, slowly and surely taxing the heart and soul out of its citizens. Their estates were confiscated, the plot fields were rendered useless for crops, special taxes were levied upon them, and they couldn't even vote. It's gotten so miserable, it would almost make anybody want to fight back, and the results were simply horrendous: people being left out in the streets, children were practically starving to death of food, education, and family life, hostages kidnapped right and left to either be kept as slaves or be left as a red stain on the scene and their corpses to be fed to the beasts of land, sea, and the air.

By the time Team Anko arrived to their destination in Tazuna Daiku's residence where he, his daughter (and single mother) Tsunami, and his grandson Inari are living. They said that Kakashi's team took quite a beating; the Jonin overworked his body from escaping Zabuza's water tactics. Sai suffered from a bruised ribcage from being stomped on by the said foe.

Satsuki was mumbling to herself, saying that Zabuza called the genin as mere children and not real ninja that have killed and drew first blood.

Sakura has never been this scared in all her life. She lived the luxury in comfort, but never realized how harsh a shinobi/kunoichi's life can get, even though the genin camp have made a soldier out of her.

Kakashi, who is currently bedridden from overwork, wondered why did the Mist Hunter Nin took the "dead" Zabuza away and not burn his body on the spot.

"Suppose our Hunter Nin friend is nothing more than a big fraud," Naruto suggested, "That person would have used senbon needles to put a target into a death-like trance (at the right pressure points) and somehow rescued him instead of doing the Hunter standards. That means that Zabuza is still alive, but he won't be able to be in a fighting condition for a while."

Satsuki, Sai, and Kakashi were surprised about Naruto's detective work, while Sakura was taken aback the most.

"SHANNARO! HOW DID YOU KNow about Zabuza, nokémono...‽" She tried to yell, but was quieted down by the seal, so she cleared her throat and then asked, "You and Anko-sensei don't look like you're inspectors at all."

"Believe or not, girly-girl, I taught him how," Anko proudly said.

"Anko-sensei also happens to be my neighbor, Sakura-san," Naruto explained, "She taught me the basic skills in combat, evasive tactics, some teamwork, inspection of weapons, some detective work, and her favorite hobby: torturing and interrogating. We also enjoy eating some good dango and tea, but I still miss the taste of good ramen, ya know." He turned to Satsuki and asked, "What's the matter?"

"It's just that maybe Zabuza was right," the female Uchiha explained, "It's our first C-Rank mission and it went south pretty quick. That Rogue-nin said he had killed the students of the academy the moment he entered, while we were busy being whipped into shape and we were "blooded" from the pigs we have killed for sustenance." And she curled herself as Naruto gave her some much needed comfort.

But then a certain paleface artist spoiled the atmosphere with a silly question, "So, Anko-sensei, is Naruto a "little boy"?" Sai asked before getting bonked with a hammer fist by an angry Naruto, "Shut up! What makes you think such ideas, ya know‽ I'm still just a growing boy!"

"Oh, don't worry about Naruto-kun, here," the buxom snake charmer casually explained, "We both see each other naked plenty of times."

"Yeah, and most of the time, you either tried to catch me in the showers, wake up in my bed, or even find ourselves in the onsen, ya know!" the Ayase explained with a reddened face, {I just couldn't keep my eyes away...from that "Medusa" messing with my privates.}

(To elucidate, Anko's womanhood is practically cover in fine, black pubic hair that almost looked like a face of Medusa hiding underneath it. One time, when Naruto tried to get out of bed, Anko gave her student a lesson about the womanhood and nearly got a face full of it.)

The witnesses, other than Anko, were staring at Naruto with their eyes wide open.

"Oh, come on! This wasn't the first time that happened to me before, ya know! I have an older sister back in my old home that does that to me all the time whenever I used to take baths with her, back when I was little! And I still don't figure hers or Anko's wiles, ya know!"

Kakashi nearly got himself a nosebleed through his half-mask from what Naruto has experienced, Sakura was utterly shocked, believing that Naruto could be such a pervert; Sai was busy taking notes about women, and Satsuki was busy staring at an exasperated Naruto getting a bit (too) popular with women as Anko hugged the back of the Ayase's head between her light-armored D-cup breasts.

Then Tazuna appeared and nearly gave himself a nosebleed from Naruto's predicament, so he somewhat regained his composure and told them that dinner is about ready.

-NUS:G-

Tazuna and Tsunami explained the situation to the teams about their situation and Inari's troubles. So Kakashi, propped in his crutches, proposed an idea to train his squad to make them improve their skills like running up and down tall trees without using their hands.

"Kakashi-san, you must be slacking off on your job as their Jonin teacher again!" Anko angrily argued, "What have you been teaching your brats, besides procrastinating at the memorial cemetery?"

Kakashi admitted that he left his students on the lurch in the first hours of working, got them a single D-Rank mission, and did some "team" exercises.

Anko grabbed the foolhardy Kakashi by the collar of his shirt and slapped him across his face a few times, making the procrastinator's cheeks swell like a daruma (without making him drop his mask) as she said, "You stupid ass! You've been squandering your students' potential progress! From now on, you rest on your comfy futon, while me and Naruto-kun help get your team into shape for the upcoming battle ahead. Stupid!"

And Anko and Naruto left the room with the other genin.

"I think I'm going to cry…" Kakashi murmured in self-pity.

 **-NUS:G-**

And for the next 2 weeks, Naruto and Anko helped train Kakashi's team as the Jonin is recovering.

Satsuki managed to pick up on tree-climbing, water-walking, and some sparring to develop her muscles. She is still friends with Naruto even after she heard of his little confession.

Sakura was a more... difficult case, because she is a born civilian that wanted to make a name for herself. She has better control, like Satsuki, but her stamina needs more polishing, if she wanted to take on more daunting tasks without tiring herself out so frequently, Anko isn't going to make the regiments so easy.

And Sai… there's something awfully screwy going on with him. He doesn't have the inexperience like a new Genin would have. In fact, he has the aspects of a Chunin or perhaps…

So, Naruto and Anko took Sai away for a moment in an undisclosed location while their doubles took over for the other genins' training.

And after a few minutes of making the pale artist open his mouth, Naruto replaced to ROOT seal with a different one that looked similar to the former, with some slight changes and warned him to keep this conversation a secret, otherwise, there will be consequences. And Sai understood as he rejoined his comrades.

They later hunt and fish for wild game to be set aside for food to be cooked at the Daikus' house.

 **-NUS:G-**

On one of the nights, Inari is acting like a pitiful, selfish, little brat, demanding the Konoha teams to leave the house because Gato and his army will surely kill everyone if they caught wind of them being here after losing his adoptive father to Gato's treachery and that the Konoha nins' lives were well off.

"And what do you know about my life, little punk?" Naruto grabbed Inari by the collar of his shirt, "You got a home to keep you safe, your family to teach what's right and wrong, and you dare to tell us to leave while many things to be left neglectfully unchecked? Silly boy! You may live your life the way you have now, and I hope that you're satisfied with yourself... because I AIN'T, YA KNOW!"

Tazuna, Tsunami, Kakashi, and Sakura shrieked from the Ayase's willpower as he is making his point across.

"Because of Konoha's "efforts", I haven't had a moment's peace when they and their Kage took me away from my family and from the Mainland. And I had to become part of their goon squads just to make me meet my "REAL" family who have left me because of their decisions of doing absolutely stupid things that I rather not say in public! Because of them, I had to miss my entry to higher education, Junior High. The people in Konoha are purposely trying to kill me and anybody else that they thought were tainted by my presence time and time again! Take a look at the life you're living out from your house and show me what poverty is, you crybaby!"

And Naruto left the house and sat outside on the roof with his doubles to watch over the town for any outward enemies abroad while the original continues his self-studying.

Anko sighed for Naruto losing his temper, and he's right about everything that he had to handle during the 5 months he's been here. Satsuki felt sorry for Naruto, Sai felt a strange sense that he never has felt before, and Sakura thinks that Naruto should be treated lower than vermin and doesn't deserve his sympathies, but Anko gave the Haruno a dirty look, telling her to better think again with that terrible thoughts she was thinking about.

The next day, Naruto decided to take an early morning walk to visit the villagers since the time he visited them. He came to a shop where they see 3 families preside together in a triplex house; one family of 4, another family of 3, and the third family of 3½ (the mother is about 9 months pregnant with a baby girl on the way). Their children became fast friends with Naruto: Taro and Maro (brothers of the first family), Betsu (a flirty girl of the second family), and Korin (a blond-haired boy of the third family).

Naruto taught them what wanted to do to help protect their neighbors and their home from brigands and pirates; practicing with wooden swords, slingshots and pellets, and trap making.

Taro and Korin wanted to protect their family and friends, with the latter, who is a timid, reluctant boy, because his dad (Rasuru) is a proud warrior and swordsmith, but was injured from a previous Gato raid, and Korin's mother Uri is pregnant and he'll be a big brother real soon.

Naruto gave the boy and his friends some advice about what brothers do to take care and protect their loved ones. And sooner or later, he'll fall hard for a girl they liked, because that happened to him. Korin understood what Naruto meant and he has a friend from a different town that he is very close with, one Ruda from neighboring Kakarikomura (Village of Roosters and Hens) on the other side of the Chakra Mainland.

And later, Naruto said that he has to leave, because duty calls and hated to say goodbye to the little rascals.

Along the way, he ran into Sai and he asked, "What's the matter with you, Bijutsu-san?"

"I ran into what looked like a gorgeous woman in a pink kimono who was taking care of Zabuza," Sai explained, "I called that person a remarkable nickname and was flattered by it, but the thing is… that person was a guy. What is this strange feeling that I'm getting, Naruto-san?"

The Ayase give it some thought and answered, "Sai, that feeling is called "awkwardness". We all have our moments when things aren't exactly what we're expecting or wanting. But you know… you must have yelped yourself into talking to a "pretty boy" and not a real girl. *laugh!* You're such an idiotic flatterer, ya know!"

Sai has that feeling that he wanted to see his grandfather for some psychiatric advice.

 **-NUS:G-**

And then came the deadline at the bridge. Gato has sent Zabuza and the same masked Hunter Nin named Haku to begin a pre-emptive strike against the Konoha nin, along with Zuuto Gachi and his brigand army.

(Zuuto Gachi is a ronin turned rogue bandit after losing his right hand from an unfortunate incident and it was replaced with a gladiatorial hook. He may have swapped dominant sword hands and have gained a potbelly, but he's still deadly with a blade.)

He and his 10 men (5 swordsmen and 5 archers) were ready for a massacre towards their enemies.

Naruto and Anko decided to cripple the enemy brigand, while Team Kakashi take on Zabuza and Haku.

Zabuza decided to use his Hidden Mist Art to give them some visual cover in the Fog of War. Zuuto's archers are posed to aim their arrows at their foes' vitals, but suddenly, one by one, they suddenly lost their will to fight by non life-threatening snake bites and several throat chops, knocking them out. Naruto "borrowed" the fallen archers' weapons and aimed his sights on the swordsmen's weapon hands and he and Anko knocked them out and the former swiped two of the enemies' swords just as Zuuto was about to strike him from behind with both hook and sword.

"Come at me, boy, if you want a taste of cold steel!" the brigand leader provoked.

And Naruto dropped one of the blades to prepare his [Fire Style: Explosive Dragon] from his hands as the flames slinked at Zuuto and the explosion connected, burning Zuuto's pants and vest, as well as part of his potbelly and his face, enraging him.

Zuuto charged at Naruto and slashed at him, but poofed itself as he was a double as he and Anko had Zuuto cornered. Naruto kicked the blubberheaded bandit from behind and followed with a jump kick with one of his double and another to send Zuuto flying and finally chained it up with a [Naruto Izuna Buster], knocking Zuuto unconscious and out of commission.

Anko gave her student a praiseworthy pat on his back for a successful capture after tying Zuuto and his men up. Naruto took a moment to catch his breath as he pulled out a sports drink from his scroll to let him recharge for a moment.

But then Team Anko noticed that the real battle isn't over. They noticed that the fog is getting too thick, so Naruto used the [Wind Style: Leaf Blower] to unleash a twister full of leaves to blow the mist away and what they saw shocked them. Kakashi suffered a slash wound from Zabuza's Head-cleaver, but the Momochi was pinned down by Kakashi's dog team. Sakura is busy defending Tazuna from any surprise attack as she watched Satsuki and Sai get stuck in an icy dome (created by Haku's [Crystal Ice Mirrors]) and are stabbed by a multitude of senbon needles, preventing them from moving.

And just when Haku prepares the final blow, Naruto used his chakra chains to home in on Haku's signature and stabbed him at the shoulder and yelled, "Get down here!" And Haku fell off from the mirror and was smacked with an uppercut to the mask upon landing, cracking it, as he landed hard to the ground.

The ice dome dissipated as Naruto sent some of his doubles to help with his allies as he (the original) checked on Haku.

The doubles carefully and slowly removed the needles off of Sai's and Satsuki's bodies while performing a healing jutsu to prevent their wounds from bleeding out. The surprising thing is that none of the needles hit a vital spot.

"Naruto, you better not peep on my body while I'm like this," the female Uchiha groaned from the pain as she was about to slap her ally.

"As part of a soldier's duty, Satsuki-san, my job right now is for helping the wounded," D. Naruto meaningfully said, "Seeing you naked is just part of a caretaker's way to put business before pleasure."

And he removed her clothing to find anything he missed before wrapping some ointment and bandages before putting her clothes back on. Satsuki felt the sense of an embarrassment all over her young teenage body as her Sharingan was awakened with two of the three tomoes in each eye from both the battle and the "check-up".

Meanwhile, Sai is handling his wounds well, as Naruto checked for anything out of place, especially in his pants, as the Ayase remarked by what the artist was wearing: a pair of white briefs as he remarked, "It serves you right for calling me a "little boy" like that to me, ya know. At least, I wear boxer briefs."

"Touché," Sai defeatingly said.

And as the original Naruto checked on an exhausted Haku, he noticed that Sai was right; that ninja would pass off himself as a woman. He begged Naruto to kill him for being a worthless [tool], but the Ayase refused, because he said that he would rather take his opponents alive, because killing them outright by unwarranted means only tears him apart. That, and he has precious people back home that are waiting for him. Haku felt that Naruto must have the same reasons for having somebody to protect, like he does with his adoptive older brother Zabuza.

Unfortunately, he has another problem, Gato (a wee, little man with an arm cast from an earlier incident with Haku, after disturbing Zabuza's R&R from a previous battle) has came forward from a barge at the other side of the unfinished bridge towards the town.

"Who brought out that guy from the Murkworks?" Naruto sarcastically wondered as he held the borrowed blade on his shoulder. He knows that the only able ninja that can still fight are himself, Anko, and Sakura. Kakashi and Zabuza are still wounded from their bout as they witnessed what Gato and more of his thugs appeared and the former declared, "Look at yourselves, I paid you an incentive to keep any unwanted intruders coming into my island and this is the thanks I get. Pathetic. The ronin and ex-ninja I hired are raring to tear your precious little town apart and the mayor couldn't do a thing about me, because I have control of all his money!" And he turned to Tazuna and warned, "I have your daughter and your little grandson as my hostages for you to stop your bridge-building! Leave with your men and nobody gets hurt {Not}!"

Tazuna wanted to demand the wee mobster, but Naruto boldly said, "We will not, "Shinonimessu Botchi" (Synonymess Botch). I'm afraid that your plans involving Tsunami-san and Inari-san as your kidnapping attempt have just failed to fruition. I've gotten word that your 2 ronin in the Daiku residence have been captured and hog-tied and are waiting in a prison cell."

"You're bluffing, boy!" Gato exclaimed.

"Who said I was?" Naruto mocked, "And besides that, I've heard about you and your bad company. You were wanted in every country across the Pacific for your multitude of misdeeds, my friend, and your ill-gotten gains won't save you from your oblivion."

"Really now, little ****, you and what army?"

"This army behind us on both sides," the Ayase point out as the INTERPOL officers and a platoon of armored enforcers from HELLHOUND surprised Gato's army by land and by their boats from the unfinished bridge and they captured every last bandit and pirate and disarmed them.

Zabuza and Haku were placed into the custody of the Konoha team as they weren't really warranted nor wanted along with Gato.

The INTERPOL later found many of Gato's bases and captured the guards (killing and shooting off a few who resisted), seized every last piece of assets, and rescued every last hostage - young, old, men, women, children, and even infants from being smuggled into the Black Market.

(The connections to the Black Market were eventually uncovered as part of SNAP. Gato and every known associate involved with Gato Enterprises were then extradited to answer for their long crimes. Gato's wife, elderly mother, and his daughter were not charged for their involvement, but had to live the rest of their lives in anguish for their patriarch leaving their home in chains. Fortunately, they eventually moved into Namimura to start their lives over.)

The COs of both companies briefed to Kakashi and Anko about the confidential details about how they were contacted by means of a long-ranged radio, with the exact coordinates by a confidential informant code-named "Yoko Kurama".

Kurama mentioned to put the reward money towards Namimura and all the poor people and to give them newer houses to move them somewhere decent. Some of the funds were given to the people in the renovated triplex to give them better jobs and to give Uri a baby shower, just as she was now expecting…

*baby crying*

Uri and Rasuru are now proud parents of a healthy baby girl, as well as Korin becoming a big brother. They named the child, "Miria", after the Namimura mayor Bo's daughter, who is also a close friend to them.

The informant later left a message to the INTERPOL that it's too soon to pick up Naruto can't be retrieved from the islands without getting proper evidence, lest risking himself or anybody else kidnapped for the Islands' own gain.

 **-NUS:G-**

After a week of building and inspecting the bridge's structural foundation, Tazuna prepared the giant red ribbon, neatly tied itself in a knot. Mayor Bo came by and prepared the ceremonial scissors for the guest of honor, who is none other than Naruto.

Tazuna declared that the "super" bridge known "The Great Naruto Overpass" is now officially open to the public and the crowd cheered for the wondrous celebration and the dedication to the citizens who died making the city a better place.

The triplex kids and Inari then thanked Naruto for his efforts. And for that, Maro (the youngest of the bunch) decided to open a shop for the finest adventuring and surplus goods for just about any enthusiast.

Naruto noticed the Hawk Eye that caught his attention. Maro said that he found the designs to the binocular mask and then put the pieces together like a simple puzzle. Originally, the mask is going to cost about 1000 Ryo, because that's his first offer until he can improve the designs.

Naruto sensed that little Maro is planning to start a capitalistic business, so he tested the device and it proved to be fruitful. He not only bought the Hawk Eye, but also risked some of his savings to begin the little shopkeeper's business, with the help of a good local lawyer to legalize the new "Maro Shoppe", and to help the families in need.

(Looks like the little business-boy wanted to prove that he can even outweigh Gato's franchises by being "clean" ruthless as he read his first book, which turned out to be about legal business trades.)

 **-NUS:G-**

The next day, a caravan from a city known as Mizushi (east of Namimura), escorting a governess name Mei Terumi, who is a beautiful red-headed woman that is a nice person… as long as nobody misinformed her or making her misconstrue about not being able to have a lover in her life.

"Shut up or you're dead meat."

She meets Mayor Bo, his daughter Iria, and Tazuna about their prisoners Zabuza and Haku; turns out they have been straying from Mizushi after the previous governor was found to be insane and as detained to a mental institution for the last few years before the changes were happening. Tazuna informed Mei that they were busy helping the people out after they got word of their new governess. Zabuza and Haku were subsequently returned back to Mizushi, with the former getting dragged by the ear for not contacting his girlfriend for 9 years after the failed revolution against the previous governor. Haku chuckled at his adopted brother's little predicament.

 **-NUS:G-**

Later, the Konoha teams said their farewells to Namimura's citizens and headed back for home.

After making it back to Konoha, Minato got word from the hawk letters that after spending about month in Namimura, the C-Rank - now turned A-Ranked - mission has been fulfilled, plus the urgent backup of Team Anko.

The Kage, gave out their teams' divided payments, except Naruto's.

Naruto looked at Minato as if the Kage is hiding something, as he dismissed everyone except his estranged son. Kushina is also present in the office.

"Naruto," the Kage sighed for a moment and explained, "Do my ears deceive me, I have word that you have been giving Kakashi a reprimanding about his training of his students?"

Naruto look at Minato in the eye and said, "Kage-sama, it's true, Anko and I did."

"But why?" Kushina asked, "Kakashi was supposed to be asking for help, not giving him a wake up slap, 'ttabané!"

"It's just what we did that to give the bumbling scarecrow what he needed," Naruto countered, "He's been slacking off on his students' training, risking the chances for a hard-ranked mission to likely end up getting themselves killed by wary brigands. So we took it upon ourselves to give our fellow genin a serious workout. Zabuza was right about this, 'ttébayo. Your teams are nothing more than mere kids not ready for the real world of the military system."

"But you're a child, too, Naruto! You're supposed to be living at our house."

"No! The moment you put me into your system, you've yupped me to grow up as a man, and not as a child. Or have you forgotten that I was never part of your family, thanks to both of you and your stupid decisions?"

After a slight pause, Minato then asked another question, "Why have you strayed from the main objection to guard Tazuna? Are you defecting from our town of Konoha?"

"You must be out of your mind, Kage-sama," Naruto objected, "I was never loyal to your so-called allegiance to begin with. To put in a better meaning, I'm more of a neutral person who would rather take care of things in a diplomatic and amicable manner. The matter if they're "enemy" or "friend" comes later."

And he told about Zabuza and Haku's story of how they got themselves in a big, modern, mess and how they were released to the custody of Mizushi's new governess, as Naruto coincidentally noticed the envelope on the desk.

"And do Mirin-san and the other genin have really what it takes to be a true steadfast ninja? Now, about my wages..."

Minato gave in and handed the Ayase the payment as he left the room, satisfied.

Kushina couldn't help but worry about Naruto and Mirin are not getting along after being away from a long mission.

And it's scarcely odd, because Mirin overheard the conversation about her younger twin brother accomplishing a higher-ranked mission and she hadn't accomplished one yet.

"One of these days, "dear brother", I will come out on top, dattémayo!"

 **-NUS:G-**

[In the Council Room]

Minato, Kushina, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru are having a conversation with the Ninja Council about the upcoming Chunin Exams where Konoha is hosting them this time. The Exams were held twice a year, while the Jonin Exams were held once a year - in between the other exams to avoid unnecessary conflictions on their and the other villages schedules.

Of course, Danzo and the Elder Council were also there to keep an "advisory" watch over their fellow Councilmen. They have plans of their own to get back at their incompetent Kage, his family, and their unruly son Naruto…

 **-NUS:G-**

Zabuza Momochi, Haku, and (later) the Demon Brothers were sent back to Mizushi to be tried and were acquitted of their crimes, but have to be sentenced to probation to prove their loyalty to Mizushi and the Island Nation.

Gato was tried in every country across the Pacific for his crimes, including trafficking and selling illegal drugs, stolen goods, and human trafficking and slavery, conspiracy to commit felonies involving burglary, robbery, and murder; and other crimes much too long to list out. He won't be using his money to influence anybody to get him out of jail and solitary confinement, ever. RETIRE.

Zuuto Gachi and his gang were sent to Mizushi and its bounty office for their crimes. Naruto left a note, telling them to send the reward money towards Namimura for reparations. The former ninja Zuuto will serve out his sentencing for robbery and murder. RETIRE.

Some of Gato's mercenaries and hired hands were sent to Mizushi are awaiting their sentencing for their crimes. Some of them won't be able to live to see the light another day. RETIRE.

(To be continued…)

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Jutsu List:

Fire Style: Explosive Dragon (Bakuen Ryuu) - B-Rank - User unleashes a slinking wave of fire from his/her hands to basically distract the target. Causes burn damage when connected. The jutsu, like any fire-style arts, must be treated with respect like any fires. Based from the arts by Hattori Hanzo (Samurai Shodown).

Wind Style: Leaf Blower (Ha Burowā) - D-Rank - A basic Wind Art that is easily adjusted to add or lessen the ability to blow wind against targets in a straight direction, with blowing leaves, rain, or snow used as a distraction. Can also blow away any vision impairment in a limited area, but not very effective against natural weather causes (hurricanes, tornadoes, and sandstorms). Based from Mega Man Battle Network series.

»-Line Break-«

A/N: Main Story: I decided to put a crossover of both manga and animé scenarios with a slight twist to make this story a little more dramatic, with a touch of Mahiro. A little side note, from the data I've read, Akiho is a principal of a cooking school and Gentō... based from what I read, he's an independent businessman with the HELLHOUND squad as his guardsmen and an assist to the police squads and INTERPOL all over the world for when the going gets too tough. Both parents are pretty much busy people with their occupations and they only come whenever the girls are in their competitions/playing into classical European/Western style music, whenever there's trouble, or whenever they have time off from their businesses. They left their children in the care of Hazuki as their trusted nanny, along with the other maids, even though they still contacted them from time to time.

To me, that's sad, because personally, it's just not enough for the Nogizaka family to just stay around for just a few days. Think "Cats in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin to get the idea what the concept was.

Side Story: Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure... It was the same old story with Nami no Mura (Wave Village), but I decide to put a twist to the story by adding some characters from LoZ: Twilight Princess and Vandal Hearts 1 (the classic PSX/PS1 Tactic RPG game) to sweeten it up. Also I added some Perry Mason, Twice Upon a Time (1983 film), Great Mouse Detective, Mortal Kombat, and the usual Have Gun - Will Travel references thrown in.

It's still a quite a way to go before we get to the Chunin Exams and how Naruto obtaining the Zantetsuken. But I'm sure we'll meet some more characters along the way, including the characters from Otomura and SNAP (Secret Networking Association of Partakers).

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And the heat will be on!

-blukmage19


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 _This is… NatsuComi!_

 _We're Alone Together, Right?_

§

[At the WcDnald's Restaurant]

Nobunaga invited Naruto to his table on a very important matter. Tomorrow is the NatsuComi (the Summer Comiket) convention at the Big Sight in Odaiba. Nobunaga brought out his personal handmade manual for the event, which includes some very important advice as he said, "If you were an Akiba addict, you would come to the NatsuComi. I made a copy of it especially for you, old buddy!"

"Oh, come on, I'm not that big of an addict, ya know!" Naruto modestly retorted as he peeked into the guide. One of the many advices stated,

* * *

 _Rule 2:_

Go get plenty of sleep early on the day prior so you can catch the first train.

You might not be able to fall asleep due to being nervous on your first trip, but you have to force yourself to.

Whenever it's animé, manga, or doujin season, you'll need to conserve your energy so you can walk around the blazing hot (or unseasonably cold) event center all day long.

And above all, don't forget that things will get very difficult if you miss the first train!

* * *

So the early train is the most packed, right?" Naruto questioned, "So is this "NatsuComi" as big as it says?"

"To put it simply, Naruto, it's a place where people sell many different kinds of doujinshi," Nobunaga cheerfully explained, "These people are the kind that like the same animé, manga, or games gather together and form a circle to draw and distribute doujinshi in their own fashion and then everyone buys or sells them.

Naruto have been to a few conventions with his parents years ago, albeit not mainly for things in the animé communities. So he gets the idea what it's like.

Nobunaga added, "There are more people who even sell their own CDs full of music, audio dramas, and games; there's even cosplay! In other words, it's the biggest summer festival for us otaku (fanatics)!"

The Ayase understood the gist of things so far. At least the event happens before the local midsummer festival.

Then Nobunaga gave Naruto one more bit of advice, with an fiendish look in his eyes, "Never underestimate the NatsuComi…"

The Ayase sweatdropped as he understood the advice, "I'll keep that in mind, ya know…"

 **-NUS-**

[Later that night, at the Ayase Residence]

Naruto returned from visiting Haruka's house as he reminisce the importance of going to the NatsuComi convention together with her. It was really their first visit over there.

* * *

 _-Flashback-_

Haruka told Naruto that the NatsuComi event is in the International Exhibition Center, AKA "The Big Sight". Naruto showed Haruka Nobunaga's notes and compared them to see what changes were needed or not as she is putting the finishing touches on her notebook. The event really starts at ten. Naruto suggested her to come as early as 04:00 at the station (really early in the morning) but no later than 09:00, because the lines are going to be packed like sardines and she has to make an excuse to her parents, like going to an early morning jog or a getting a late night snack or something.

Haruka agreed, so that they won't have to worry about the merchandise being sold out like what happened in Akihabara.

"I would like to buy a doujin from a circle called, A Cat Bus Stop," she excitedly said, "Their art style is really cute! I'm so looking forward to it!"

"That'll be good," Naruto said, "I'll get some food and drinks for the long trip, Haruka. But if you want to come early, I would suggest that we both need to get plenty of sleep for the event. We're going to need it so that we won't miss a thing."

And they planned a budget for buying things from the convention tomorrow. They then clasp hands in promise before hugging each other, saying good night and good hunting before Naruto parted ways.

 _-End Flashback-_

* * *

He later bought some inexpensive but convenient goods to be put into his cooler, as well as carrying his backpack to put plenty of blank scrolls and special ink and sumi-e badger brush to seal things away for proper use.

Naruto hopes that Nobunaga isn't really exaggerating about before turning over to his bedside.

 **-NUS-**

[The next morning, at 03:15]

Naruto got plenty of sleep and got up bright and early to get dressed, does his bathroom rituals, and ate a quick breakfast. He told his parents beforehand that he has a friend to meet at the train station. He brought his necessities and the rations for 2 people as he said goodbye to his household and his lazy sister and teacher.

The Ayase took the 04:00 train and sure enough, the train is really packed full of many people local and foreign coming along the express line. Naruto managed to squeeze in, that's to his ninja training.

"Ngh! This is worse than the holiday shopping days, ya know!" he complained while in the middle of a squeeze play.

As Naruto arrived at the station, the crowd began to pour out, with him caught in the middle, as he hears Haruka (who was chauffeured by Nanami) at the floor above him, calling out from outside the coffee shop. Naruto shunshins from the crowd and instantly to near where Haruka was at.

(Thankfully, Naruto bought some tickets in advance for himself and Haruka a few days prior.)

Haruka is wearing a baby-blue dress and a yellow long-sleeved overshirt as she asked, "Naruto-san, everyone appears to be walking towards the Big Sight."

"It sure is, Haruka," he affirmatively said, "They are willing to go to the NatsuComi as well. Thankfully, we're going a little later, so we have some time to kill, ya know. Would you care for some light coffee?"

Haruka agreed as she and Naruto bought a big cup of iced coffee and two straws so that they can share the caffeinated drink together on a small table. They were starting to feel the love together as the sipped the coffee - nose to nose, and cheek to cheek. But when the lovebirds were almost mouth to mouth, they were about to back off, but then something pulled them together and…

...their lips met.

Their straws got in the middle of the butterfly engagement, but this is their first real experience of what romance started with.

After they finished their coffee, Naruto and Haruka managed to get in line in a group; they weren't in the front of the line, but they weren't exactly last, either. Naruto heeded Nobunaga's advice not to underestimate the event; if only the Asakura can see them now.

There were about another 5 hours before the event opens, so he lets Haruka get a little shut-eye to help her regain her strength. Naruto even brought out a few games like Sudoku, Kakuro (a type of crossword game involving numbers 1 to 9 equal to what the clue was), and Crosswords to pass the time.

By the time Haruka woke up, she found herself in Naruto's arms, as he asked, "Slept well, milady?"

She worried that she won't be able to buy the doujin at this rate, but her confidant said, "Don't worry, Haruka, we still got about half an hour before opening day. Believe it."

The lovebirds knew that it isn't wise to rush into the convention and buy whatever they wanted in a hurry, because running is not allowed. This and other things are or aren't allowed were documented in her little pink notebook, including not lining up at the previous day of the convention - unless there was an extended part of the ticket, or people (regulars, vendors, or cosplayers) aren't allowed to bring in dangerous weapons or objects with some exceptions. Most of successful part of the convention are for those who obeyed the rules.

"I see," Naruto is convinced, "Everybody is lining up in an orderly fashion, so that they won't end up tripping themselves up and get anybody hurt. Oh, and Haruka, we have to stay together, otherwise we'll get lost in the crowded big complex."

And he extended his hand to his friend. At first, Haruka didn't know what to do about this. Naruto said this didn't have to be something special, it's just that it's for when they don't lose sight of each other. (He slightly blushed at what daring steps he had to take with her.) So, he tried again and Haruka kindly took his hand and confidently said to him, "I'm counting on you, Naruto-san."

Then they turned to see the clock ready to strike the 10:00 hour and they confidently followed the crowd in separate groups into the main event.

And the heat is on…

 **-NUS-**

[Inside the Big Sight]

As the twosome entered the complex, they decided to have a look around the booths while going to the A Cat Bus Stop. They learned their lesson from the Akihabara incident earlier, so they planned to find that particular booth.

Along the way, while going through a packed line, Haruka was accidentally bumped by a tall, large man who apologized for his misstep. She was about to politely say the thing, but was shoved by a passerby who is in a rush. Thankfully, Naruto managed to catch her from falling; which it almost made things get romantically out of context by the public. He cleared his throat to keep things under control as he escorted Haruka by the hand before they get themselves into more trouble.

"Naruto-san, your hand is really gentle," she said as they pressed onward.

 **-NUS-**

The booths are numerous for many different kinds of many subjects that it felt like it's one big festival, without the nightfall to make the scenery lit up.

There were Clumsy Girl - Aki-chan that Haruka liked very much, The Late Night Demon - Pillow-chan, Magical Dinner - Princess Shallot, Summer Journey, and even the promotion for the upcoming anime series, Nocturne Girls' School - Lacrosse Club that looked awfully familiar about the characters.

(The Lacrosse Club characters looked too much like "Haruka", "Mika", "Hazuki", "Nanami", "Shiina", and surprisingly, a slightly older "Alis" as a junior Lacrosse member, and "Naruto" as an allying friend of the group from a rivaling and neighboring school, as well as a love interest of the main character.)

"Now that is strange, Haruka," Naruto pointed out, "We haven't have a Lacrosse sport in our school, ya know."

"Maybe we should appeal to the Hakujoh Academy to let us promote the sport, Naruto-san," she agreed, "Besides that, I like to see this show, too."

They resumed the search for the specific booth. The problem is that The Cat Bus Stop has a long line of customers, but Naruto and Haruka managed to wait in line - not at the very back, but close enough to get a sporting chance.

The Ayase then asked his friend, "Tell me. What is it that you like this book the most?"

"It's because I like the artist's drawings of Aki-chan," she answered honestly, "I've seen the drawings in a magazine before, and after that, I became a fan. That's why like to buy one."

"That's good for you," he kindly remarked as the line started to thin out.

By the time they made it to the booth, there's but one copy of the book left for sale at the booth. Naruto decided to take the initiative and prepare to lay some money down first for "The Cat Bus Stop". Unfortunately, a cutter (a person who disregarded the rules by getting in front) tried to push Naruto aside to grab the book, but the Ayase stood his ground and said to the idiot, "Listen, friend, get in line or get lost! Do we have an understanding?"

But the cutter refused to leave and tried to shove Naruto again to grab the book just as Haruka started to feel faint from the suspense. So he took quickly created a shadow double to help his friend while the original got behind the cutter and grabbed him by wrist and said, "I don't take kindly to those who tend to start with violence. It's against my nindo (creed) to hurt anybody with any unwarranted provocation. But if you don't like the way this is gonna be, then get out!"

The crowd and the other witnesses were awestruck (and some were also scared) at Naruto's negotiating attitude as the cutter forcibly gave up and left the building with a sore arm.

And as he resumed his business, the vendor asked, "Excuse me, but are you by chance a ninja or some sort?"

"No," he replied, "Just a man with a hobby." And he bought and paid the book, fair and square, as he left to tend to his double and the fainted friend.

 **-NUS-**

At a nearby rest area, Naruto's double poofed as Haruka woke up from her fainting spell and thought that she would never get what she wanted and sadly said with tears in her eyes, "Naruto-san, it's okay. Although it's unfortunate, I'm worried that if you continue on, you'll end up becoming the enemy."

Naruto pulled out some tissue paper and wiped away his dear friend's eyes and gave her a reconfirming smile and said, "It's alright, Haruka. I'm just glad that things have settled down. And this is for you." He presented the book "The Cat Bus Stop" to her.

Haruka softly cooed, "Oh, Naruto-san, I'm satisfied by just knowing your feelings." And she kissed her boy-friend on the cheek.

(Jackpot!)

 **-NUS-**

As Naruto and Haruka through a different area, finding a good spot to take a break, they hear a voice of a businessman asking them for attention.

The man came forward and gave them an extra copy from The Cat Bus Stop and said, "I saw it all. It was a disaster. The amazing world-famous fandom culture should be protected by everyone."

"Then, this is…" Naruto wondered why the man is being generous to them.

"I bought it, but I decided to give it to you." Then the businessman gave the book to Haruka and Naruto and said, "Just take it, but keep this a secret from the public media." And then he left.

"He seems to be a nice guy," Naruto whispered into Haruka's ear, "But I know it's a one of your maids when I see one. Just don't tell her that."

Haruka understood what her friend have said and she called out to the "businessman", "Whoever you are, thank you very much!"

 **-NUS-**

The businessman hid himself in a hidden corridor where Hazuki, Alis, and Mika were waiting.

"Good work, Nanami-san," the younger Nogizaka complimented.

The same idiot cutter was quickly captured by the maids and hogtied him in a Kinbaku (bondage) position, with his mouth taped, as he mufflingly begged for mercy. There is a sheet of paper attached to his shirt saying (in translation):

"I've been punished by the heavens because I rudely cut in line…"

"Ufufu, it was a nice success," Nanami said in her normal voice, "It's just that Naruto-san saw through my disguise, but he didn't intend to spoil the charade."

"By the way," Mika mentioned, "Who did you dress up as?"

Nanami ripped off the mask and said, "Ufufufu~ That's a secret."

 **-Naruto's Secret-**

[At a different area in The Big Sight]

Haruka is glad that Naruto gave her the copy of "The Cat Bus Stop" book as they started to see a different circle of booths ahead. When she noticed another cute project, she aspiringly wished, "How I like to draw doujinshi too. If I can draw and let everybody see it, I would make more progress. Don't you think, Naruto-san?"

Naruto gave a brief pause and remembered the Komainu and the Bear-cat drawings. Then he said to her, "Let's think about it later."

But then, Naruto senses a "spy" watching him and Haruka. So he secretly sent a Shadow Double to plant a miniature dye-pack on the spy's back of his suit and poofed itself without notice.

A few seconds later...

*Ka-blam!* went the dye-pack, covering the spy in crazy colors.

He has never been so humiliated by anyone, especially a blondish ninja. So he contacted his associates to tell them to back off a bit, unless they want to get caught by him, but are to still keep a watchful eye on the two subjects.

 **-NUS-**

As Naruto and Haruka skimmed the next row of booths, he hears the voice of Nobunaga coming towards him.

"It is Naruto!" the Asakura exclaimed, "I knew you would come! So have you finally awakened your otakudom?"

"Nobunaga, don't get ahead of yourself," Naruto disagreeingly shook his head, "I just came here with a friend and simply have a good time, ya know." And he noticed that he and Haruka are still within eyesight apart from each other.

"Is this your first time coming to the NatsuComi? I feel relieved," Nobunaga chatted, "So, did you buy anything?"

Naruto sweatdropped and replied, "Yes. Yes, I have."

"I see. But just looking at the NatsuComi should make you feel happy, don't it? It makes me feel warm and fuzzy! Ah, the feeling of sellers and buyers becoming one."

{Becoming one…?} Naruto pondered as he looked at the booths all around, being cheerful as they helped each other on the finer things. "I believe it."

"Really? The NatsuComi is so lively because everyone effortly put everything they got into it."

"I see, but Nobunaga, is it okay for you to just chat with me? Don't you have other things to do?"

"Oh, that's right! I still have other books to buy!" Nobunaga sheepishly said, "There's one group called Otoko-jūsu (Man's Juice) that I wanted to look at. Not to mention, there are some super famous animator guest participating…"

"All right, all right, ya know," Naruto sweatdropped as he understood the gist of things, "Don't be a busybody and get going!"

"See ya later!" Nobunaga said before he left, "And Naruto, say hello to Nogizaka-san for me!"

{How does he know about Haruka?} the Ayase wondered as he turned to where his friend was at.

By the time Naruto found her, she was looking at some books as he said, "Sorry about the delay, Haruka. Have you found anything else that you want?"

"Yes," she replied, "There's Horo-chan's book and Hecate-tan writing paper." Then she noticed a doujin that looked promising, but when she browsed closer, her face turned steaming red and she nearly fainted from what she saw. It was another of those yaoi stories that made her get overexcited again. Naruto put the book away and carried Haruka with the greatest of ease and excused themselves to a nearby empty corner to let her calm her nerves down.

[A few minutes later…]

"Haruka? Get a hold of yourself! Wake up, Haruka…"

Haruka came to her senses and she sees Naruto in front of her, very concerned about her sudden fainting.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Oh… Naruto-san, for...forgive me…" she apologized, "I forgot what happened… ? What I was about to do?"

Naruto knows that his friend doesn't clearly have amnesia, but he said to her, "You looked into another one of those yaoi doujins again and then you got all steamed up like a boiled lobster. Sorry that I had to carry you off like that, ya know."

And he helped get Haruka back on her feet and returned to exploring more of the convention.

 **-NUS-**

As they passed the enterprise booths, where all of the big publishers and game makers sell their limited goods and other things, and another red-out from Haruka seeing an Ecchi (sexy) picture (an image of Ekoda-chan, showing off her exhibitionism with the title censoring her chest and womanhood), Naruto decided to take a break outside and give Haruka a cold drink to refresh herself. Before they visit the Cosplay Circle, they ate some lunch that he brought over earlier and briefed about the things they like being here at the Big Sight. The feeling of crossing line on the relationship scale is about to go higher as they shared a drink with another pair of straws.

"Haruka, how do like the convention so far?" he asked.

"It was swell, Naruto-san," she answered, "The books they sell, the many stories to enjoy, and the artwork, but most of all, I get to spend some time with you."

And Naruto is glad for Haruka.

 **-NUS-**

By the time they finished lunch, Haruka wanted to see the many people in cosplay. There many characters from many local (i.e. - Sword Art Online, One Piece, Princess Lover, etc.) and the foreign variety (i.e. - RWBY, Steven Universe, Marvel, etc., etc.) dressed much like their animé counterparts.

"I'll hold on to the luggage, if you want to go," Naruto said.

"Really?" Haruka excitedly asked. She gave of a confident *dotepu~n* from her bust as she eagerly looked at the sights of the cosplayers.

"Be careful not to push too much, okay?"

(Note that the cosplayers aren't allowed to use dangerous weapons. They use facsimiles no longer than 60 cm or about a little over 23½ inches to show off their presentations. Paint, air, and cork guns are allowed, with some restrictions,)

As Haruka looked at the many photoshoots of the cosplayers, she moved closer to see the piece of the action. Unfortunately, she ended up becoming the center of attention, mistaken for the main character (Haruna) from "Nocturne Girl's High School" in cosplay; that spells trouble for her.

But just then, Naruto swiftly took the initiative and acrobatically move in front of the hapless Haruka from getting paparazzi'd as he said to the crowd, "Sorry, friends, but there'll be no handouts for you today. We'll just leave and go somewhere else, dattébayo."

Some of the photographers weren't taking NO for an answer as a group 30 men surrounded Naruto and Haruka. Then the Ayase warned, "Last chance, boys. Let us pass or suffer the consequences."

"Don't get in our way!" one spectator yelled.

"We don't need rule mongers, you Nazi!"

"Don't try to be a hero to impress a woman, Yankee!"

Those names made Naruto very mad and he snidely retorted, "You guys are all the same. I pity you... Kage Bunshin!"

The crowd was puzzled for a few moments until a small platoon of doubles appeared and jumped on top of the angry mob of the least quantity to open a path and grabbed their SD cards from the cameras in the process.

Meanwhile, a little distance away, Hazuki (dressed up as Dokuro-chan) witnessed the incident as she contacted some of the cosplayers to quell the situation down.

Naruto told Haruka to close her eyes for a moment as he used his [Magen (Illusion Art): Phase Shift]¹ and the unwanted paparazzi started to feel like they're having a sense of vertigo as they began to lose their balance to let him and Haruka escape while the doubles buy them some time.

When they found refuge, the memories of the doubles affected Naruto's head for a moment.

"Are you all right, Naruto-san?" Haruka asked.

Naruto shook it off and said, "I'm OK, Haruka. That's what I get for using my doubles for harder work other than the chores around the house. By the way, one of them gave me the message saying that some of the cosplayers managed to prevent a catastrophe from happening by bringing in security to detain those clowns."

Haruka was grateful for her boy-friend and said, "Ano… Thank you, Naruto-san. You saved me again. You're just like a hero."

"Really, ya know?" Naruto questioned, "Us, real shinobi, are the ones that know how to "grin and bear it", ya know."

 **-NUS-**

[A few hours later, inside the train]

The only people boarding the train we the people were from the NatsuComi; it's very crowded.

Naruto was trying his best to make sure that Haruka is protected from prowlers in a tight space. Of course, it isn't an easy thing for the Nogizaka either, because all the bumping from the tracks and the other people, it made things rather complicated from the awkwardness.

"But I had a beautiful time, Naruto-san," Haruka conclusively said, "The NatsuComi doesn't end until we get back home. Otherwise, I'm fine." She looked at Naruto holding his arms against the wall, trying to prevent any unnecessary conflictions that may likely harm or upset her. "Naruto-san, you can let your arms down…?"

{Yaré yaré, she can be so…} Naruto grumbled, but enduringly said, "There's really far too many people...ya know… It won't be long, so please hold on for a little while, Haruka."

"Naruto…" Haruka's heart skipped a beat from her friend's unselfishness and she hugged Naruto with tears in her eyes.

"Ha...Haruka? What's wrong?" he concerningly asked.

Haruka cried, "I… I was sweating a lot, and…"

"Haruka, I'm sweating too…" he confessed as he felt a strange sensation. He wanted to let his friend go, but she wouldn't as she said, "Right now, it's okay…"

They both smell the scent of each other's sweat as they hugged together as Haruka blushingly confessed, "I'm… in a little pain. You see… for a while, my heart was beating non-stop. I want to stay like this."

Naruto couldn't opposed this, so he accepted Haruka's wishes as they are minutes away to their destination.

It was one of the most endearing moments they have first experienced.

 **-NUS-**

[At the Nogizaka Residence]

Naruto and Haruka gave themselves their first real kiss as official lovers before they have to part ways. It'll be a few more days until school starts again.

As for Naruto, it was a victory like no other. He also bought a few things from the convention worth sharing with friends, especially Haruka. Along the way back to his house, he noticed Mika and the maids are ahead of him.

"Huh? Oh, what a coincidence, Onii-san!" Mika called out.

"Good Evening~" Nanami said.

::"Good evening," my butt!:: he grumbled as he moved across the road to where the Nogizaka company were at.

"Did you have fun with my sister~?" Mika singsonged.

"A lovey-dovey date, is it~?" Nanami questioned.

"Congratulations to you," Hazuki complimented.

*Koku koku* Alis nodded in agreement.

"Really?" Naruto skeptically suspected, "How come you four were doing here coincidentally after returning from the Big Sight, ya know?"

Mika was surprised that Naruto was on to them and she sheepishly chuckled, "Looks like you got us…"

*Koku koku* Alis nodded.

Naruto grinned and finished it with one word, "...cold."

Then the younger sister said, "Well, there's something I'm worried about. Onii-san, were you followed by anyone suspicious-looking?"

"Other than you? ...Yes," Naruto answered, "Some men that looked like secret agents were on to us. Why?"

"I was hoping that dear father wouldn't dare to go that far, just because of my big sister's hobby," she worried, "Anyway, we'll see you later, Onii-san."

And both parties went on their separate ways.

 **-NUS-**

[At the Nogizaka Mansion]

Haruka is smelling the essence of Naruto on her skin and clothes that made her feel elated, but other than that, she's still quite sweaty from being cramped in the train with him, so she decided to take a nice bath to wash her troubles away. However, along the way, she came across one "giant" of a problem that is about to make her feelings hurt in an awful way…

[Meanwhile, at the Ayase Residence]

Naruto just returned home from a quick shopping from the grocery store to get some important ingredients.

His parents left the house - returning back to their crazy business schedule, while their son went out on a "date" with Haruka, leaving two half-naked women (Ruko and Yukari) in the house. They were asking where has he been the entire day and why does their little brother/student have a scent of a woman on him.

"Onee-chan, Sensei, we've been gone to the event, remember?" Naruto reminded, "Of course, it was jam-packed full of people inside the train and the very cramped lines. Haruka and I were the closest people together, that's all."

"Oh? Then why do I see some gloss on your lips, huh?" Ruko shot back.

"Naru-kun, don't tell me you done something illicit and have unprotected sex with Nogizaka-kun, would you?" Yukari accused.

"Ah, forget it, ya know!" Naruto exclaimed, "I just needed a nice, clean shower to get all this walking and crowding off of me!"

But just as Naruto was about to gather his things for the bath and shower room, he gets a call on the house phone and it was Mika who called and frantically and distressingly said, "My sister! She… She's…"

The moment was interrupted when a doorbell rang on the front door. Naruto hung up the phone as he opened the door to find Haruka still in her sweaty dress, partially torn, and her feelings rather hurt. She came in running in her high heel shoes.

Her face was a bit bruised and swollen with a slap mark, a cut lip, some of her long hair forcibly sheared off to her shoulder-length made by a blade, and a proof of a black eye…

"Naruto-san, I… I…" she wanted to say something but couldn't as she sobbed as she hugged him.

What in the world happened to Haruka Nogizaka that made her so sad?

§

Intermission...»

* * *

¹ Illusion: Phase Shift - A distortion art that not only messes with target(s) vision, but also makes them lose their balance and their sense of direction. It's a temporary effect, so basically, it's a good technique used for primarily, a distraction.

Based from Vandal Hearts series.

* * *

 **Side Story**

 _Naruto's Chronicles in the Chakra Islands Part 5_

 _"No one can change what's happened in the past, but maybe I can do something to make up for it."_

After partnering with other teams and completing the missions, Naruto still wasn't give the full partial payment from the mission office because of "Genin's Pay" and the "demon tax" for the wages, leaving him with little Ryo (currency in the Chakra Islands) by the Kage's insistence. It made him very angry, but the Ayase must keep his temper under control.

(At least Naruto kept the invoices as evidence.)

But then, just as Naruto was about to leave, Minato told him to stop and said, "Son, I'm need to ask you a favor. You are to be signed in for the upcoming Chunin Exams in the next week- -"

"I refuse!" Naruto sternly stated.

"Come on, musuko, be reasonable," Kushina begged, "It's the only way to get you a better payment."

"No!" Naruto stubbornly spurned, "Any person would know that any novice or rookie Genin that dared to enter the exam without proper experience would soon end up getting themselves killed or worse, living with the shame of being expelled from the Ninja Program. And I'm not taking them."

"Then how come your signature is written on it?" Minato insisted as he presented an affidavit for the entry to the exams.

Naruto inspected it and found that the paper have traces of a glue-like substance for a front of an important document and then he said, "You!" Then he angrily grabbed Minato's shirt and warned, "Listen, old man! You made have convinced me into joining your exam, but this is low, dattébayo! I know that ninja are known to play dirty, but what you've done is utter dishonesty! You wouldn't do the same thing to your children just to send them to the slaughter like that, would ya? The natural training grounds will tear them apart. I suggest you don't ever do that again, or else you can kiss your island peacefulness and your eldest son goodbye." Then he released his grip and left the room and slammed the door shut, making some objects fall to the ground.

"I told you it was a bad decision, Honey," Kushina warned.

"Was he talking about Menma?" Minato questioned.

"No, it means Naruto. Why do we keep doing these things, 'ttébané? It only drives our family apart.

"Darling, unfortunately, I'm Kage first and a father second," Minato dismally said, "I must make a right decision on the desk. And I can't afford to lose the Island Nation and the ninja way to the Mainlanders and the foreigners."

Kushina silently called her husband and father of 5 an idiot; a stupid, but lovable idiot.

 **-NUS:G-**

Naruto is outside at a quiet place to finish up on his session of his schooling paperwork, some rigorous exercises, and is currently reading in prized book that Haruka absolutely recommended: a pocket Study Guide Holy Bible (the REAL thing; translated into Japanese) to brush on his reading and his spiritual meditations. He's not really a religious person, but he prayed to God for wisdom and the strength to get through the ordeal and to make the nation understand the seriousness of this plight.

Just then, he hears the yelling of Konohamaru (the previous Kage's grandson) being chased by an angry Mirin after he let his big mouth run about her doing things not what girls normally do. His friends - Udon, Moegi, Hanabi, and the Namikaze siblings (Menma and Nori) - were close behind Mirin, begging her to stop chasing their friend because he didn't know any better. Konohamaru kept on running until he ran into a Sabakutoshi genin who wears a stagehand costume, kabuki-style makeup, and a package in wraps carried on his back, and he's not in a very good mood. He was accompanied by an older girl - a blond-haired girl, wearing her hair in a four-leaf clover fashion, olive-tanned from living in her homeland all her life, wearing a battle dress with a oblong skirt, and carrying a giant folding fan on her back.

"That hurts, you little runt!" the kabuki-like man complained as he grabbed Konohamaru by the scarf, "Little brats like you simply make me very irritated!"

"Kankuro," the young woman said to her partner and younger brother, "I don't think that it's wise to pick on a little kid like that in the middle of enemy lands."

"Shut up, Temari-neechan!" the young now named Kankuro argued, "This little brat will surely die for insulting me. I'm going to enjoy wringing his scrawny little neck!"

The other kids gasped as the oldest Namikazé sibling yelled at Kankuro to put the boy down, but he refused, until he was grabbed by a swift Naruto who took both Sabakutoshi nin by surprise by grabbing Kankuro's wrist and said, "You realize that this is the former Kage's grandson and assaulting him or anybody else within our territory is a big personal foul for those attended the Chunin Exams. Now, drop him! Do it!"

Naruto convinced Kankuro by means of overstretching his foe's wrist almost the capacity to sprain it, forcing him to release Konohamaru from his grasp.

"That really hurts, you bastard!" Kankuro growled, "Why I oughta- -"

"Consider this as fair warning, you makeup-wearing buffoon," Naruto interrupted, "Next time, you'll wind up in Konoha's jail for your misbehaving."

"That's war paint!" Kankuro angrily blurted out.

"You've been getting into my makeup again‽" Temari demanded an answer from her younger brother that made him flinch, like he was caught like a rat in a trap. Then she apologized to Naruto, "Please forgive my family. I have 2 younger brothers that can get a bit hard to handle, sometimes."

Naruto noticed Kankuro but then he sensed another Sabakutoshi nin appearing at a branch of a nearby tree, with a sandy shunshin. It was a younger redheaded teen not close of to 13, with black makeup around his eyes to protect himself from the sun's rays and a red tattoo on the left side of his forehead, showing the Kanji 愛 (Ai, meaning love). Right now, he's in a real foul mood at his older brother's behavior.

"Nii-chan, you are being a disgrace to our family," he said, "It's breaking our Dear Mother's heart just to see you cause such trouble."

"Hey, Gaara," Kankuro nervously said to his baby brother as he tried to explain the situation.

"Shut up, or so help me, I'll have you judged and get buried in the desert!" the young man now named Gaara² scolded like the spirit of a tanuki ferociously leering at his siblings. He turned to Naruto and said, "I apologize for our little argument."

Naruto accepted the apology and introduced himself, "I'm Naruto Ayase, solo Genin member."

"My name Temari Torisuna³," the female member introduced herself, "The one wearing my makeup is my idiotic younger brother Kankuro and the other one is my baby brother, Gaara."

She and her brothers presented their permit passes for proof that they have come to Konoha for the exam.

"It's been nice meeting you coming here you three," Naruto said to the Torisuna siblings, "But do try not to be rude. We carry a "No Tolerance" policy against unnecessary battery."

Gaara senses that Naruto has the same kind of aura he uses to show who's the boss of whose family.

Nori started to open up to Naruto and asked him how did he pull off a stealthy approach. Menma is still indifferent to his older brother's bravado. Hanabi felt awestruck that her newfound hero pacified the situation quickly and saved her friend's life.

As the desert siblings left, Mirin began to feel resented as she argued, "Why do you come here, Outsider! I could have at least handle the situation, 'ttemayo! Those Sand Nin aren't so tough!"

"And not taking any chances just to keep the younger kids away from a grisly fate? Silly girl," Naruto calmly countered, "You should've checked your calendar for the upcoming Chunin exams that are coming in a few days. And besides that, you're just asking for trouble, because those siblings and possibly everybody else will simply tear you apart, limb from limb, in you dare to antagonize them the wrong way. And that would break your family's hearts."

"But you're family, too!" Mirin shot back, but he deflected, "No. We weren't "family" to begin with after everything you and your parents have done to me, 'ttébayo! Your other sisters got along with me, but you and Menma are nothing more Konoha hypocritical dum-dums."

And then, Naruto left with the neighborhood kids, leaving Menma with his eldest sister.

"Nee-chan, you really think that the Nokémono is as dumb as he looks, 'tteyoba?" he asked.

"Yes, Menma," Mirin adamantly agreed, "That big lummox doesn't belong here in the first place. Soon your big sister will get what's coming to hers, 'ttemayo."

 **-NUS:G-**

The next day, Naruto walks to the Exam building. It isn't far from TG44 (his stomping grounds), but the location is nevertheless very dangerous for foolhardy, the inexperienced, and the reckless.

(But why should he care?)

As he entered the building, he reads the location of the Exam is in room 308 (3rd floor, 8th room). From where he entered the main entrance is the second floor.

Along the way, he sees a crowd trying to gain entry to the 8th room. And sure enough, he sees a lot of familiar faces, including Mirin about to demand to drop the genjutsu to reveal its real room, but Naruto quickly came behind her and said, "There's a real reason not to say that, because the moment you do, more unwanted competition will come and you'll be responsible for their many deaths and unfortunate accidents. My question is this: Are you willing to take that risk?"

Mirin turned around and noticed that Naruto disappeared like the wind. The person guarding the room asked her, "You were saying something?"

"No… Never mind," the eldest Namikaze said as she walked away.

Her friends and a few other teams somehow agreed to follow Mirin's example and took the upstairs flight.

 **-NUS:G-**

As Naruto went to the real 3rd floor, Room 308, he noticed, that the room has gotten a bit strange; full of complex mazes and rafters full of scary watchmen and dummy targets and buttons and contraptions for entry into other passageways. There were also a set of rules that follows as he read:

 _No personal equipment is allowed for this test. Their gear is to be set aside in designated baskets and must be processed before returning to the said owner. It's to ensure that nobody is allowed to cheat in this test._

 _Examinee(s) must use resourced items and intelligence to sneak past the "temple guards" without getting caught or discovered. If you get caught, you and your team are out, thus failing the test. However, no unnecessary harm is to come towards the "temple guards", otherwise, you'll not only fail the exam, but will also be banned for the next exam afterwards until you've finished carrying out the sentence._

 _If you managed to complete the exercise with extra equipment, you'll get extra points for the exam overall. However, they are to be returned to a designated basket. If you happen to find a "temple item" and complete the trial from a set time, then you've truly passed the first exam and be given a special prize._

Naruto understood the rules and used his "Mind's Eye" to envision where the guards were going to be in as he unloads his gear into a special basket case and then it poofed itself to a different area. The second basket contains different tools necessary for entry: a sterilized mouth guard for safety, a bamboo tube, some shuriken, kunai, a small fishing rod and hook, and some lockpicks. So he "borrowed" the equipment and them was greeted by the main examiner (imagine a resemblance to 1990's Kirk Fogg) and said, "You have 10 minutes to complete this temple run. Since you're in a solo run, you're allowed 2 pendants instead of the usual 3 to a team to let a temple guard forget the encounter, but it still will affect your grade. Ready?"

"I'm ready, willing, and "mable"," Naruto replied with a brief joke before he put his mouthpiece in.

"All right, timer set in 10 minutes. To your marks, ready… Go!"

And there goes Naruto on his intrepid test.

 **-NUS:G-**

After going through the many diverging paths and traps, including "Zetsubō no Pit" and the "Ginsaru no Shinsha"⁴, Naruto managed to make it to the other side of the "temple" run, with a "special item" (in this case, "The Floating Dog Leash"), without getting discovered, with about 4 minutes to spare.

He's a little wet from going through some of the soaking obstacles (using the bamboo tube to drain out the excess water to put out the lights, and the obstacle known as the "Wishing Well" where he used the fishing pole to throw a line and hook at a target to make it fall into the well), but he dries off pretty quickly, and dropped the extra designated tools into the basket. The same examiner came by and congratulated Naruto and was graded on his performance: by the time limit, penalties for getting discovered, completing every room possible, extra items and pendant(s) available, and the obtaining of the "temple item". Transparency-wise, Naruto has a good score for his run.

Then the Ayase goes through the hall towards the next room on the 5th floor, awaiting the second part of the exam.

 **-NUS:G-**

Surprisingly, other ninja candidates from other neighboring cities came by as they completed their trials; some had it easy, some had it rough.

Among those that made it were the Torisuna siblings, Karin Uzumaki (who also happens to be an upperclasswoman by a half-year) and her Konoha team (including a younger Suigetsu Hozuki and Jūgo), and many other candidates from Iwashi, Kumoyama, Mizushi, Sabakutoshi, Murasame, Susuki, the same kunoichi trio from Takiyama, a single team from Otomura, and an older "dork" nin team from Moya. However, Naruto realized that he must've been the first of the Konoha rookie team to arrive. But after waiting a few minutes before the appointed hour, one Konoha team arrived, but it's not the usual rookies; it was Lee Rock (the Dou-type martial arts fighter, a friendly rival of Naruto), Rimu Ten-Ten (the weapons specialist and friend of Naruto), and Neji Hyuga (a Sei-type fighter who doesn't like Naruto, much like his cousin, Hinata), as they were surprised that Naruto managed to outwit the watchers in his first trial.

"It's all in the timing, my friends," Naruto partially revealed, "I got through the Temple Route. What about you?"

"We got the old Japanese route," Ten-Ten said, "The special item was a "Secret Map"." She also mentioned that she and her team got careless, only once, but managed to complete it.

Then, all the other Konoha rookie teams arrived, looking a bit worse for wear on some members.

Team Kakashi (Satsuki, Sakura, and Sai) somehow made it through their trials, albeit a little bit messy. They were discovered only twice (one for a badly timed opportunity, and Sakura's carelessly loud voice, nearly giving her team away). Their "secret item" was a hornpipe.

Team Kurenai (Hinata, Kiba + Akamaru, and Shino) got 1 strike (one from a hidden guard in the swamp obstacle). Their item was an ox's nose ring.

Team Asuma (Ino, Shikamaru, Choji) got a little bit messier than Team Kakashi's and got discovered 3 times (One each for Ino's poor judgment, Shikamaru's lack of effort, and Choji lack of stamina due to a uncontrollable hunger). Their secret item was a mask.

Team Kushina (Mirin) has never been frightened like this before in her life. She got discovered twice (one in the "Throne Room" and the "Chamber of the Sacred Markers") and she regretted making her mistakes getting caught. Her secret item was a heart-shaped pillow.

But then, something got Naruto's attention when (who of all people!) is Sasuke and his team.

"You can't hurt me! The Civilian Council has given me permission to join the exam," the arrogant birdbrain declared, but then suddenly noticed that his 2 partners (rendered nameless) were suddenly taken by surprise by Naruto as he said, "Last I checked, birdbutt, your license is revoked. The Civilian Council has no right to let you or any unqualified students to be allowed to be called Ninja."

"Shut up, you f***! And how would you fare against us, 3 to 1? You wouldn't dare to take us on!" Sasuke shot back.

"To be fair, I fought with Anko-sensei against a platoon over an uncompleted bridge, Sasuke, and captured them alive, along with a tyrant who is a littler man than you are. So there, dattébayo!" Naruto countered, "How about we settle the score someplace else?"

The other Konoha teams and even the visiting nin were astonished at Naruto's bravado. This caught the attention of the only team from Otomura as one - Dosu Kinuta - jealously uses his arm tool aimed at Naruto from behind with a deafening effect, but he somehow hit the wrong man as Naruto substituted with Sasuke and covered his ears with a special noise-canceling earbuds (powered by a silencing seal). Sasuke unfortunately lost his lunch from the vibrations that reached his brain, causing him to retch.

The proctors caught onto the Otomura team and struck them with a penalty for the written exam. Among the proctors, was one Ibiki Morino (a scarred man with plenty of stories to tell around his whole head) who called for clean-up before calling order to the rowdy and rambunctious students to their assigned seats (to which Naruto had the worst seating place: in the front row, next to "Miss Bushel Britches" Hinata to his left and a Otomura kunoichi - one Kin Tsuchi - to his right, Temari, Ino, Mirin, Fujiko (of Takiyama), and Karin to the desks behind him. Must be his lucky day or a lucky bastard, says the men in the other seats.)

Ibiki explained the rules of the written exam, with a clause of not (getting themselves) caught by the eyes and senses of the wary proctors. And if one person is out, the whole team is to be sent packing.

Based on the number of seats, there were about 299 individual people (99 teams plus 2 solo teams) in the first preliminary test of finding the 3rd Floor rooms, and now there were down to 43 teams (123 people in three-man teams plus 2 solo members), due to Sasuke and his big, fat mouth. Ibiki hopes that he would cut the number of teams by at least half before going to the next test.

 **-NUS:G-**

Meanwhile, the Konoha Jonin Council, the Sannin, and the Kage and his wife were watching through a giant crystal ball, overviewing the exam room.

The Civilian Councilmen broke into the Jonin Council to demand Naruto to be kicked out of the exam for the assault and battery of their "precious" Sasuke, but Minato gave them "the BOOT" instead, as they were not invited and have spoiled things rotten in the Ninja System.

Getting back to the subject, they reviewed the Temple Stealth Test, it turns out that Naruto was the only person who not only passed the test with flying colors, but also hadn't been caught or discovered once.

"But why him?" Kushina questioned, "How did our oldest son managed to breeze the test easily and with the designated tools?"

"Your son doesn't earn the special prize, Kage-sama!" Kakashi ranted, "He got into my team's affairs and took the credit for our mission!"

"No, Kakashi," Minato disagreed, "You called for backup and you got it! You have been procrastinating near the gravesite time and time again where your students needed you as a teacher. So Naruto and Anko took over while you were laid up from Zabuza's battle. Kakashi, let's be frank. If I hear one more report of your careless acts, off goes your Jonin salary, your seat in the Jonin council, and you will have to return to ANBU duties until you're proper Jonin material again. Clearly, my teachings didn't get through with you after Rin left this nation with Naruto at the time."

Kakashi begged for leniency, but Minato made his point clear.

Then Kushina mentioned about her troubles with her oldest daughter. Mirin has the determination to be a Kunoichi… for the wrong reasons. She wanted to deserve the best and her younger brother doesn't get his rewards. Lately, she got news from the network that the head members of the Uzumaki clan are coming to the islands to straighten everything out and prove if her family that Danzo not only done them wrong by exiling them out of the Chakra Islands, but also turned that wrong into a blessing because Uzushio's landmass started to sink into the deep waters until the whirlpools are nothing more than memories, leaving no trace of evidence behind, thusly made the old warthog very upset.

This leaves the host (the Kage) with many questions and many or not so many answers.

There's also the problem with the Zantetsuken blade. It's started to ring out, awaiting its proper wielder. They were still hoping that it is Mirin who is the likely person worthy enough to take the legendary blade, as does most of the Jonin Council.

 **-NUS:G-**

Elsewhere, in a hidden bunker, Danzo is greeted by a man resembling Orochimaru, but it isn't really him; it's his younger brother. He and his associate (who is in the Genin Exam incognito as a candidate) are setting up the necessary steps to bring SNAP to conquer Konoha and level it to the ground.

And that man's name is…

.

.

.

To be continued…

* * *

¹ - Sabakutoshi is a village in the Chakra Islands that lies to the west in a region that is nothing but desert sands and rocky terrain, most of it in the eastern side. Further west is a high mountainous coast that walls and protects itself against the ocean tides, like tidal waves, that tend to slightly spill over the rocky shoals and over the mountains. Plants and freshwater are but commodities in the region that are very uncommon, so the village has to rely on trading and bartering to get what they wanted or needed.

² - Gaara in this version didn't carry the One-Tailed Tanuki Shukaku. Instead, he was forcibly "blessed" by the Sabakutoshi ninja masters to give him his sand manipulation powers. He was born 3 months premature when the ninja masters forced Karura (the siblings' mother) to birth Gaara immediately instead of waiting full-term. He was born without any eyebrow hair because of the ninja masters' foolish decision and from the prematurity. Karura is alive in this scenario, but the event has left herself in a great depression. She still loves her children, but her body is preventing her to express the feeling. Also, Yashamaru (Karura's twin brother) gave Gaara an 愛 tattoo on his forehead before he perished from Governor Rasa (Yashamaru's brother-in-law and the father of his 3 children) and his stupid decisions to make his youngest son to use his sand powers. Yashamaru told Gaara and his siblings that he still loved them before he went far away to prevent a self-destructive device from hurting Gaara and the village.

³ - "Sabaku no" weren't used in this version. "Torisuna" means "Bird (of) Sand", but sometimes is synonymous of the English word "Treasoner" when Rasa and his magistrate crossed that line that is breaking his family apart; a treasonous way to go.

⁴ - The Temple Stealth trials (based from a classic game show, Legends of the Hidden Temple) are more adult-oriented instead of the usual kids' game show arrangement, so it's much much bigger in perspective. It has its crypt, ledges, the Pit of Despair, the 3 diverging rooms with 2 paths, including the infamous Shrine of the Silver Monkey. Naruto lucked out, because the item was located near the other end of the temple. He also used the rafters in some areas to his advantage. The "Temple Guards" are actually assigned reserved Genin, Chunin, and a few Jonin dressed up in outlandish clothes and masks meant to scare any careless candidates to simulate a watchful scenario in a secure area.

* * *

A/N: I have little time to do with keeping up with the story at the time. Spring is almost arriving and I have a family heritage event to come to. St. Patrick's Day is on a Sunday by the time I posted this chapter.

Main Story: I decided to keep it as canon as possible, with a few twists - Haruka becoming more of a lover than the usual story, adding some manga elements, and with the sudden abuse by a certain somebody (and no, it's not the bitch that dunnit), with a nice cliffhanger to top it off. You probably notice some characters that were mentioned in the Cosplay and the Ekoda-chan ecchi picture; those are the things that just come out of my head after a little soul-searching for inspiration.

Side Story: Orochimaru isn't going be totally involved in the Chunin Exam, because he's a researcher. He does have a younger brother that he loved as family before Danzo took him away. I'll give you a clue: it's the Japanese legend, think Orochi's full name and it's the first part plus adding the ring or the greatness to that guy's name. We'll see him a little later.

I also chose to change Gaara's origin to make him formidable, without the Bijuu. He has his sand powers, but at a cost: his health, his family, and his father for taking things way out of context. He still cares for his loving older sister, his idiotic older brother, and his ailing mother. The moment his father Rasa decided to put the village over his family, is the day he isn't declared as a father, just a nobody.

As for the Temple Stealth Tests, there's this nagging feeling for years that I wanted to let it realize: make it an Sasuke/Kunoichi challenging game based on the "Legends of the Hidden Temple" and the layouts of Olmec's Temple with elements from Tenchu series to set out puzzles and stealth points for making it through without getting caught. Sure it may be short side, but if you use a bit of imagination, you probably get the idea of I wanted to see for a real game show (hoping) to make a real comeback and not just in a film with Kirk Fogg, Olmec, and the Temple Guards. I like to see a redesigned Temple with more puzzles, more diverging paths, and no hamby-pamby with the production errors. That's what I wanted to see.

By the way, am I a stinker with the cliffhangers?

* * *

And the heat will be on!

-blukmage19


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _...I Love It!_

 _You're Welcome_

§

Previously…

Naruto and Haruka were having a date (sort of) at the Big Sight. There were a plenty of sights to see, some moments that made the Nogizaka's heart quiver, and a few... romantic affairs. Naruto has just reached first base into becoming more than being just good friends with Haruka. After taking Haruka back to her home and settling the conversation with Mika and the maids, he walked back to his house wanting to get a soothing shower, when Mika called on the landline, asking him for the whereabouts of her older sister. Coincidentally, Haruka arrived at Naruto's house, very hurt from yet-to-be-explained bruises on her face, some of her hair was lopped off by a blade, and also her very saddened expression…

What caused Haruka to come to Naruto in the first place?

And now...

 **-NUS-**

[Nogizaka Residence]

A storm is brewing outside, with a chance of a typhoon coming into the area.

Gentō Nogizaka, a hard man, is not only very upset, but also very mad lately; not with his business matters, but with his eldest daughter's unusual behavior.

"Inexcusable!" the Yazuka-like businessman grumbled as he held a picture of Haruka in the Big Sight Convention and the time in London that one of his spies sent out, "How could she go to a place like this?" He turned to see a pile of Haruka's belongings into an untidily pile and snarled, "Moreover, she has those things in her room. Animé. Manga. Games… Such vulgar and foolish hobbies…" He stepped and stomped on his daughter's collection in anger and then he called for his goon squad, "«HELLHOUND»!"

"Present, sir!" the commander of HELLHOUND responded.

"Use any means necessary to find Haruka and bring her back!" Gentō barked out his orders, "Come hell or high water, find her so I can give her a lesson that she'll never forget!"

"Ho!" the commander obeyed as the team prepared whatever state-of-the-art technology to access the weather forecast to see if their transportation (trucks, helicopters, and even jet planes) is able to handle against the upcoming typhoon, but they have to give him the urgent news to their boss, "Sir, we have bad news. A Category-2, possibly 3, typhoon that is nearing the southern portion of Japan and towards us in a few hours. It'll be impossible for any transportation to be taking off without any casualties. And besides that, there could be some people that need our help for disaster relief. Any objections, sir?"

But Gentō is fixated on his main problem at hand, "My eldest daughter of my family having such a silly hobby like this… Unforgivable… Absolutely unforgivable! Haruka!"

Lightning struck outside to muffle out the mister's ranting, but he determinedly swore, "You made have the weather on your side, but you're delaying the inevitable!

 **-NUS-**

[Meanwhile, back at the Ayase Residence]

Naruto was hugged by a crying and battered Haruka, clinging to his shoulder. He didn't understand what the fuss is about, so he asked her, "Haruka, are you alright?"

"Naruto-san, I'm sorry," Haruka said in between sniffles and sobbing, "Ano… I… I ran away from home… I...got into an argument with my dear father… He discovered my hobby… When I was about to take a bath with the maids, my dear father was waiting… The goods that I hid in my room were cleared out and he treated them like garbage! I tried to plead with him to stop it, but then he… I blacked out for a moment and before I even knew it, I must have already left the house with this pain all over my face. I suddenly realized that I have no place left to go to… Dear father said some really, really horrible things… Bad things about the people who made those books, novelties, music, and videos, but he also said some bad things about you, too…"

Naruto placed his clean towel around Haruka's shoulders as she sat next to him and continued, "It's okay, Naruto-san, dear father can say whatever he wants about me, I have plenty of patience… but when he said such cruel things to you… that, alone, is hard to forgive…"

She hugged Naruto again like there's no tomorrow.

"And all the hard work that we got into…" Naruto murmured, but his real concern was Haruka's safety.

But suddenly, a lightning bolt struck outside, making a very loud thundering rumble, as he turned to see a rain-soaked Hazuki entering the house.

"Haruka-sama," she said, "I figured you would likely to come here in Naruto-san's house."

Haruka defensively asked, "Hazuki-san, are you here to bring me back? I'm not going back until dear father changes his mind.

The 1st-ranked maid is swayed and is convinced by her mistress's reasons.

"Hazuki-san," Haruka nearly bawled, "This is my only request- -"

"No," Hazuki replied, "If that is your intention, Haruka-sama, then I will comply. I'm not going to insist that you do anything that you don't believe in. However, you can't accomplish this alone, Haruka-sama." She embraced her mistress like she is her own daughter and sweetly asked, "I would like to help and stay with you, will you let me?"

Haruka consented with a tearful, yet also a joyful feeling.

Surely, it's a moment that almost felt like a maternal situation.

But then, Yukari and Ruko suddenly showed up as they, too, enjoyed watching that moment, despite it being a bit complicated. But when they looked at Haruka's face…

"My God!" Ruko declared with a disheartening expression.

"Whatever happened to you, Nogizaka-san?" Yukari asked as Naruto and Haruka explained what happened.

Before they dressed the girl's wounds, Naruto suggested a camera and an XY-axis measuring stick to use take photos of the bruises and the abuse that Haruka took.

Yukari then used some of her booze as an astringent to wipe the wounds to prevent infection, Ruko used some of her sword paper as makeshift bandages, and Naruto uses his Ninja healing arts (iryojutsu) from his training with Shizune to tend to his girlfriend's swelled areas on her cheek and her eye, as well as her cut lip.

The older residents decided to let Haruka and Hazuki stay for the night, because the man and lady of the house won't be coming home from work and there's a typhoon passing by. And besides that, Nobunaga Asakura (Naruto's friend) stayed at their house some of the time. Haruka obliged and decided to stay until the storm lets up; may it be the typhoon or her father's relenting.

"I imposed on you so suddenly," the Nogizaka apologized to Naruto, "Yet you listened to everything I had to say. On top of that… your sister… Oh, I don't want to be a nuisance to anyone anymore. And Hazuki-san is with me now, so we'll be able to get by somehow…"

"Haruka," Naruto interrupted and consoled her, "You are never a nuisance, ya know. Sure, it's complicated being a guy and a girl of different worlds living under one roof… You can come to my house and be welcomed to stay, if you want to…" And he gave off a slight blush for his boldness.

Suddenly, Ruko and Yukari entangled themselves to Naruto and the former said, "Naruto~~, you ended up saying it after all, weren't you?"

"What's with the lovey-dovey atmosphere?" Yukari also questioned while getting frisky.

Then Ruko suggested to have Nabé (Hot Pot) for dinner before the typhoon gets too bad and she and Yukari invited not only Haruka and Hazuki, but shamelessly wanted Naruto to join in the bath room.

"Onee-chan, Sensei, you can't make me go," Naruto refused, "It's...just not right, ya know!"

"Oh, yes, we can!" Ruko and Yukari enticed.

"No, you can't!"

"Oh, yes, we can!"

"Oh, no, you can't!"

"Oh, yes, we can!"

"Oh, no, you can't. Oh, no…," Naruto looked at Haruka's baby-doll eyes and Hazuki's "insistence" and defeatingly said, "Oh, yes, they can…"

And Ruko and Yukari squealed with glee that they get a man with them into the bath, but then Naruto got their attention and said, "But I'm only doing this, just because Haruka asked me to. Also, I'm only allowed to wash your backs and shoulders and not anyplace else, ya know. Mom and Dad and Haruka's parents are gonna get mad if I cross that particular line. Will you promise not to do anything that we all are going to regret?"

The women and the maid agreed to Naruto's proposition as he summons a few Shadow Doubles to prepare the Nabé while they have to take a bath.

 **-NUS-**

Naruto lets the women undress first while he waits out in the hall before he disrobes himself and wrapped his waist with a modest towel.

And when he entered, he sees all 4 women absolutely butt naked as they can be as they crowd into the bath room, the showers, and the hot tub. Like Naruto explained earlier, this isn't the first time that he saw the women naked... except for Hazuki. The 1st-ranked maid isn't as curvaceous like Yukari or Ruko, but she is lovely nevertheless.

Haruka is blushing, but not as madly, as she sees Naruto and his swimmer's physique, some of his battle scars, plus his visible 6-pack abs. In other words, he's much different than her father's.

As Naruto and a few extra doubles were busy scrubbing and massaging the women's backs, Ruko questioned her barroom buddy (Yukari), "Did I make a mistake in raising my little brother? I mean, ever since he was shanghai'd by those Chakra islanders, I nearly drove myself to drink for 3 years and my parents nearly kicked me out because of my bad habit. I tried hard to slow my drinking down with some food in my stomach and some water to dilute it, but before I knew it, Naruto finally returned home to us. I'm such a bad sister."

"Naru-kun turned out fine," Yukari said, "He helped me find a place to stay after my last apartment caught fire. And even I turned myself to alcohol for a while, but time and time again, Naru-kun kept giving me a sobering reminder that I'm a teacher and a friend to him and the other students. Oh, the classroom anarchy…"

"Ano… I've been getting along with Naruto-san really well," Haruka confessed, "We have been friends since we were younger. And we became closer since we transferred to Hakujoh Academy and ever since before the summer vacation… he helped me when my hobby nearly went public, including most of the other students thought of me as a darling of the academy. He even helped me with a lot of things, like when I fell into depression from Naruto-san taking the fall for me as the students treated him like vermin. Or at the time in London when he watched me perform on stage. So…"

Yukari and Ruko gave Haruka the one of the strangest looks, with the latter said, "What are you boasting~? Confess, woman, has my little brother done something to you? I can tell that this isn't the first time he saw you naked!"

Haruka was about to confess, but Naruto started first, from the time his girlfriend nearly starved herself to death before summer vacation (in her négligée), and the time they were sharing a room in London and took a bath together _(set up and arranged by Mika and the other maids)_. Haruka agreed to the alibi.

Ruko couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous that her little brother is becoming a man, while she and Yukari still haven't gotten themselves a date. Maybe Naruto isn't ready to have an in-law just yet.

Meanwhile, the double of Naruto was busy washing and massaging the maid's back, shoulders, and arms, taking the overburdening stress off her body. He admired the way Hazuki helped with Haruka and the mansion. Her clothes are in the hanger, because they are made with a special type of cloth that is water resistant, wrinkle resistant, and can handle almost anything against dirt, grime, and sand.

"You're our guest today, Hazuki-san," the double said, "So do please enjoy your stay."

"I'm more at ease when I have something to do, Naruto-san," Hazuki replied as she left her host do with his massaging and his other doubles preparing the Nabé, "I must thank you for what happened. I was really worried when Haruka-sama ran away from the mansion after Gentō-sama got into a heated argument with her. When she refused, I felt the same punishment whenever I made those mistakes I've made, but then it felt worse than that because of how he treats his own daughter's hobby like it was worthless. When I saw Haruka-sama heading to your residence, I'm relieved that her situation was healing well."

"But I didn't do anything, at least the oyabun _(boss)_ didn't," the double modestly said, "I may not be as good as you are, Hazuki-san, but I'm glad if I can be of any help, ya know. How should I put it? It's because I like seeing Haruka's smiling face, and that make me smile, too. It's the joyful feeling that is much better than misery. At least, that's what the Oyabun thinks, ya know."

Hazuki never felt happier before than she ever had for the young mistress and her boyfriend.

Later, Haruka was given a proper beauty cut on her bad "haircut" to make her still look beautiful in a proper shoulder-length, thanks to Naruto's skill with the clipping scissors. She thinks that it's time to cut it short anyway, because of her wanting to become independent. Ruko, Yukari, and even Hazuki were impressed by Naruto's beauticianing skill, and he explained that he did some of that on the side whenever he has a mission from the Chakra Islands and that he did some to himself (via doubles) to keep his head trimmed whenever the need is necessary.

 **-NUS-**

After they dried and cleaned off, got dressed in their nightclothes (with Ruko in her short shorts, black muscle shirt, and haori; Yukari in her black stockings, magenta bra and panties, and her usual pink shirt; Haruka in her pajamas that Hazuki brought over; Naruto in his orange camo shorts and black muscle shirt; and Hazuki in her maid uniform and cap), and letting the doubles in the bathroom and the kitchen dispelled from finishing their duties, Hazuki decidedly served out the Nabé dish to the dining room table.

Ruko tried to teach Haruka (and surprisingly, the head maid) a bad habit: banging the silverware-clenching fists on the table, yelling, "Dinner! Dinner!...", but Naruto puts his foot down and told his older sister and teacher to stop it.

"That's bad manners, ya know!" he said, "And this poor table's already been banged enough!"

 **-NUS-**

"Now then, let's begin the Ayases' house party for Haruka-chan and her maid's overnight typhoon stay," Yukari declared, "So sexual harassment is okay, too- -"

"Sensei!" Naruto complainingly interrupted to the floozy for a faculty member.

"Oops, sorry. Anyway, here's to our guests and to our survival against the upcoming storm. Kanpai (Cheers)!"

"Kanpai!" "Kanpai!" "Kanpai!"

The older sister, the teacher, and the maid were given a glass of the finest liquor, while Haruka and Naruto were served orange juice, because they're still minors.

As Ruko guzzled her glass, Haruka admired her tenacity, "Ruko-san is so amazing."

"Why is that, Haruka?" Naruto curiously asked.

"She can hold her liquor rather well. You really do need to be able to hold your liquor when you go out into society. For that reason, she's always training herself and tries very hard. I want to become like her in the future." And visions Ruko as a capable businesswoman.

But Naruto isn't so sure about his older sister being a role model to his girlfriend; a disastrous one at that. It's hard to imagine Haruka acting like Ruko, completely out of character when she's completely zonked and very unladylike.

Hazuki sampled some of the Nabé and said, "Naruto-sama, did you make this?"

"Yeah," he said, "I just went to the nearest grocery store to gather whatever we needed to be put together."

"It's very delicious," the maid complemented, but then she whispered enough for Naruto to hear, ::You'd make a great husband…::

{Is that a fact?} the male Ayase wondered.

Haruka wanted to play something to make the party even better, so he brought out his electric keyboard to let her play. It was a very merry moment as the audience of 4 watched the Nogizaka performed.

Later, Naruto noticed that Haruka hadn't hadn't touched the Nabé. So he asked, "Haruka, you haven't seem to be eating anything, ya know. Don't you like it?"

"N-no," she replied, "It's delicious, but… ano… somehow, my chest feels full."

"Yes, you've done very well, Haruka-sama," Hazuki praised her mistress, albeit a little bit tipsy from the booze, "You will definitely become a good woman, someday."

"Hazuki-san‽" Naruto complained from the maid's weird sense of humor.

"What? Nogizaka-san doesn't want to eat‽" Ruko declared, "Listen, the Nabé's for everyone to come gather around and feast on it. That's how this family forges deep bonds, so please enjoy until you have your fill.

And after Naruto passed the Nabé bowl and fresh chopsticks to Haruka, Yukari interrupted him with her chest (and bust) landing on top of him and yelled, "Naru-kun, you dummy!"

"Sensei! Don't hang onto me like that! You're choking me, ya know!" Naruto nearly gagged from the teacher's enticing full-body bind.

"Tell me the truth," the blonde teacher demanded, "When did you get so close to Haruka-chan?"

"Ooh-ooh, I've been wondering that myself," Ruko also wanted to know.

"Naru-kun, what do you think of Haruka-chan?"

Naruto gave in and confessed, "Haruka… she's more than just a classmate of mine…" And he told about how he first met her years ago before the Chakra Island ordeal, and how they were reunited when he returned to the mainland and Haruka forced to move out of her All-girls' Senior High school at the first place they met. Since then, they started out as casual friends before the incident at the school library where the ice begins to break.

Haruka thought of Naruto treated her much better than she anticipated, like they're more than just good friends at school.

But then, Ruko, Yukari, and Hazuki are starting to get rather curious (and nosey) as they were planning to make the relationship a little bit hotter.

With Ruko, "Naruto, there's a fine line between me becoming Yukari and even Nogizaka-san's sister-in-law."

Yukari, "Do I love Naru-kun? Yes, I do, but I'm not sure that he's into older women…"

And Hazuki, "As Haruka-sama's maid, I cannot overlook this, please tell me what is the meaning of this? This is not caused by curiosity into private matters."

Naruto looked like he is caught between a rock and a soft place with 3 older women wanting an answer from their boy as he turned to look at Haruka with her innocent eyes gazing at him while holding her bowl and chopsticks. But suddenly, his cellphone started to ring from his pocket. So he asked them to excuse him for a moment, because it's an important matter. Whether it's cowardice, or the women taking things a bit too far are up to debate.

 **-NUS-**

[At the stairwell]

»Eh‽ You found Onee-chan‽« Mika exclaimed on the other end of the line, »Onii-san, you dummy! You should've told me sooner!«

"Eh-heh, sorry, it was rather sudden over here," Naruto apologized.

»I'm so glad… Onee-chan! *sniffle* *sniffle*«

"Haruka's fine, Mika-chan. She got a little depressed, at first, but she's cheerful again, so..."

»Yeah. Then that means you're going to become my real brother-in-law, or even the Papa‽ Ah...a-a-a-a-ah!«

"Mika-chan, get it together, ya know."

»Sorry.«

"So, what's happening on your end?"

»Ooh… I asked Nanami-san to look into it. I guess dear father suspected something. He sent out spies, because he knew that Onee-chan had made friends with a boy while we were in London and the NatsuComi.«

"You don't say?"

»There's a unit that is working under dear father's control: HELLHOUND - Translated as the dogs from Hell. I think he intended to have Onee-chan's hobbies and you crushed.«

{If Gentō-san dares to make any hasty decisions, I...} "Are we going to be safe here?"

»Mmm… If you can just hold out for the next 23 hours, that is. Reinforcements will arrive tomorrow, so try to hold up the fort until then. I'll do my best to help you with a super, powerful, infallible, ultimate weapon.«

"Better make it a bit sooner, because I'm hearing from the news on the radio that the worst of the typhoon is going to hit us. I hope that you and your maids are well prepared for it and this "ultimate weapon"."

»Don't worry, Onii-san! I promise. Oh! By the way, this is Onee-chan's first time, so do treat her gently, please?«

"Mika-chan, as much as you're concerned about your big sister, there's just one little thing I wanted to say to you."

»Yes?«

"You think about adult matters way too much for a little kid, ya know! Bye-bye."

* **beep** *

 **-NUS-**

[Back at the Living Room]

The storm made the city shut off the electricity for precautionary measures.

As Naruto finished with his phone call, he came to see that Ruko and Yukari are snoozing away drunk, while Haruka is sleeping on the couch, hugging a pillow, and Hazuki is asleep while sitting formally.

"I'm still awake," the maid said, "Ano… Can I leave Haruka-sama to you, Naruto-sama? She'll catch cold, sleeping like that. If it's possible, please take her to the bedroom."

"That's all right by me," Naruto obliged, "But you shouldn't go outside yet, because the winds are getting worse. You could get swept away before you know it. Just rest a little bit longer."

So he summons his doubles to clean up the mess and to patrol the perimeter for anything out of the ordinary, as he let Hazuki rest before she ended up goofing off and get herself hurt before taking over the watch.

Naruto then carried Haruka off the couch in a princess carry. He weight-lifts with his fuuinjutsu (sealing arts) and weights to make his body harder, more than enough to carry his girlfriend in style, without having to wake her up. As he opened the bedroom door, Haruka woke up and groggily murmured, "Mmm... Naruto-san, your face is really close."

"Oh, sorry to disturb you, Haruka," Naruto whispered back, "I'm taking you to the guest room. It's right next to mine."

And he set the Nogizaka down on a futon bed. But there's a problem…

"I'm afraid of the dark and that howling wind from the typhoon…"

"Really? Dattébayo…"

 **-Naruto's Secret-**

Naruto unregretfully took the plunge as he guides Haruka into his room. He kept cleaning and maintaining his room and bed so that it wouldn't stink from his manliness so much.

As Naruto and Haruka are about to lie together on the former's bed (which was big enough for two people) with their nightclothes as their only barrier, the Nogizaka apologized, "I'm sorry, Naruto-san, for being so unreasonable when I said I wanted us to sleep together, and I have to share the bed with you…"

"Don't be, Haruka," Naruto said, "It should have been me that has to be sorry, ya know."

Haruka wondered why.

"I tricked Gentō, your father, into trashing your collection by replacing them with "dummies" and replicas while I sealed them and the ones you bought at the NatsuComi convention into a nice little package." He turned on his flashlight and went to his left-hand drawer and pulled out 2 scrolls containing his girlfriend's collection and belongings as he unsealed them in neat and tidied groups.

And then he continued, "Haruka, I didn't mean for this to happen to you. Your father losing his temper, your injuries, and one of your maids coming along. Will you forgive me?"

Haruka simply hugged her boyfriend with a *glomp* from her chest and cooed, "Oh, Naruto-san, of course I do. All that matters is that you cared for me."

And as Naruto turned out the light, Haruka said that about every night before she goes to sleep, she usually has her teddy bear and Hazuki is there with her, too.

"Naruto-san?"

"Yes?" Naruto replied.

"Would you… would you sleep with me? Ah… What I mean is, you don't have to if you don't want to, but for some reason, it's all I've been thinking about… I'm sorry for saying such weird things! *sob!*"

Naruto moved to his left side of the bed and comforted the crying Haruka. He can feel her trembling from the distress. It's true that what he heard from Mika that her older sister ran away from home after a heated argument with her father. And besides that, he's not sleeping next to his girlfriend just to take advantage of her and have sex. Oh, no. It's much too soon for that. All Haruka wanted is some company.

As Haruka fell asleep, she mumbled, "No matter what happens… I'll always be with you…"

Naruto reminded himself to get proper consent from Haruka's parents when things cleared up in the morning. But for now all he can whispered to her ear is this, "Good night, Haruka."

And he positioned himself a head's length over Haruka and he fell asleep.

 **-NUS-**

Meanwhile, in the wee hours of the morning, one of Naruto's doubles senses that the storm is letting up. He lets Hazuki know, so that she can take over to stand and watch for anything out of the ordinary.

 **-NUS-**

[At dawn (5:45 hours)]

The typhoon watch is over as Hazuki, her eyes reddened from the lack of sleep, is still busy patrolling the perimeter when she spotted one of the HELLHOUND soldiers spying on the house with a sound detection apparatus. The maid jumped along a fence and onto the rooftop and sucker-punched the spy to the jaw, knocking him into unconsciousness.

"Haruka-sama!" she declared as she headed back to the Ayase residence.

[Meanwhile…]

Naruto woke up early to get some quick exercises before going to the bathroom, with his Zantetsuken in hand. By the time he finished and got out, he smells something cooking on the stove, downstairs in the kitchen. Much to his surprise, it was Haruka cooking a pot of miso soup. "Ah, good morning, Naruto-san! Breakfast will be ready soon, so please wait a bit."

"Morning, Haruka," he replied with a bit of a yawn before routinely prepared the other parts of the breakfast while putting the blade aside. He showed Haruka some things about what he, his sister, and the teacher usually eat: the toasted (baked) prepared fish sliced neatly down the middle, bones removed, seasoned before being cooked skin side down; some fresh cucumber to chopped and sliced; some nori _(edible seaweed)_ on the side; a fresh, good, uncooked egg; and some rice from a cooker. It's how his family run on for some breakfast.

And just in time, too, because a unkempt and half-naked Ruko ("Breakfast…") and an all-nude Yukari ("Mmm… Naru-kun…") just trying to come alive out of bed.

"Onee-chan! Sensei! Put some clothes on, ya know! We have guests in the house!" he declared.

"Breakfast first!" Ruko yelled.

* **brrr**!* * **brrr**!*

"Naru-kun, the phone's ringing too loud!" Yukari complained.

"Right!" Naruto replied as he summons a few doubles; one to answer the landline and the others to prepare themselves for any unwanted intruders. The double #1 picked up the phone and answered, "Hai, moshi-moshi? Mika-chan? Is something the matter?"

»Onii-san, he found out! Dear father found out where Onee-chan is hiding!«

The Narutos and the other witnesses turned to see Hazuki entering from the front door, warning, "Naruto-sama! They're outside!"

The original growled with a whisper, "I got careless…," as they hear the sound of motor vehicles and a helicopter are rapidly approaching the residence. He hears some snipers preparing their long-ranged weapons at an adjacent house, ready to aim at a moment's notice.

As some of the HELLHOUND soldiers armed themselves with their tactical gear, the original Naruto remarked, "Isn't your father going just a tad bit overboard just to find you, Haruka?"

"It's my dear father's men, Naruto-san," she answered, "That means he's coming! I don't know what to do!"

"Have courage, Haruka," he supported the Nogizaka as he turned of the appliances, "Don't be afraid to tell your dad to express your feelings to him. Believe it."

And he ordered his doubles to form a line to the front, just Gentō ringed the doorbell twice.

"Just a moment!" Naruto throws his voice, "I'm a-coming! I'm a-coming!"

But Gentō got a little too impatient as he slashed the front door with his blade and busted through, sending the pieces flying at the doubles, poofing after they took damage.

"Since there was no response, I let myself in," Gentō said, "Now, give Haruka back this instant!"

"You do realize that you're invading the sanctity of my home, as well as you destroyed the front door?" Naruto queried as he is about to unsheath his blade.

"Stand aside, you piece of filth," the businessman growled as he ordered his men to make entry through the front door, keeping Ruko and Yukari occupied, and some more of the soldiers broke the back den window as Hazuki brought her chainsaw to hold them off.

"Run for it!" she said to her mistress. Haruka was about to run up the stairs, when Naruto was knocked back to the wall next to it.

"Naruto-san!" she exclaimed as she ran back to her downed friend. She turned to Gentō and pleaded, "Dear father, what are you doing? Please stop this!"

"I've been looking for you," the businessman stubbornly said, "I'm here to pick you up.

"Please listen to me!" Haruka tried to listen to reason, but it availed her naught.

"Now then, let's head back to the mansion. If this is about yesterday, I've gotten over it. If you reflect on what you're doing, I'll forgive you. Otherwise, I'll have to discipline you until you can forget about such things. Your attachment to animé and games have led you astray. Now stop acting like a spoiled child and go back to being your obedient self!"

When Gentō was busy talking, Naruto, feeling the impact that he hadn't felt in a while, decided to play possum as he hears what Haruka next that really got his attention.

"I will not." The "defiant" act has made Gentō rather annoyed. "I'm not going back right now. I don't think I'm wrong! Dear father, you don't understand at all! I've always been encouraged by "those things". [Innocent Smile] helped me make the person that I am. I didn't want to run away from home and I didn't want to argue with you, dear father. If my best wasn't good enough, then I'll try even harder to the good girl you always wanted me to be. But whatever you do, please… please don't take my treasures away!"

After a brief moment of silence, Gentō growled, "You want my approval? Daughter, those vulgar books and trinkets you're addicted to… you dare to gain my approval for it‽"

"Dear father…"

"Poppycock! Absolute poppycock! I will never allow it! Those filthy things neither promote creativity, nor with productivity! They do NOT befit the eldest daughter of the Nogizaka family!"

But then, Naruto said, "I'm sorry to disturb you." And he gave an angry look at Gentō as he got back on his feet, still clenching the sheathed Zantetsuken in his grasp.

Then Gentō accused as he drew his blade at Naruto, "So it was you. I trusted you and you corrupted my eldest daughter! Who the hell do you think you are‽"

"Is this what it's really all about?" Naruto questioned, "Is Haruka's hobby really as bad that you're really set against, dattébayo!"

"Of course it is!" Gentō barked, "Those things are not worthy of Haruka!"

"How can you say that, 'ttébayo! Preposterous! Do you really know about Haruka at all and why she liked those things‽ Haven't you even consider about Haruka's feelings towards the things and the people she liked‽ Her feelings were truly earnest and completely serious as she enjoyed them. Is it wrong to be an Akiba fanatic? Then tell me this! Why did you hurt your daughter? Is it just because of her liking her hobby or is there something you're not telling us? Well?"

Naruto's inspiration made Hazuki, Yukari, and Ruko shove the soldiers aside and fall back near to him and Haruka.

That little advantage made Gentō want to burst one of his blood vessels in his head and shouted at his main target (Naruto), "You bastard! You made Haruka… It's scum like you that made Haruka…"

But before Gentō realized it, it was like a blink of an eye as he saw Naruto disappeared and felt a *clang* hitting his sword and Naruto returned to Haruka's side, withdrawing his weapon as he quoted a haiku,

 _Unprecedented_

 _Devoid of reason and thought_

 _Time to learn your place!_

 _Naruto Ayase_

And Gentō felt something felt lighter on his sword hand and realized that his weapon was cut cleanly in two as Naruto said, "Maybe that ought to teach you not to come at us with violence."

The businessman made an unsettling noise after his weapon was broken.

"Care to try again?" Naruto questioned.

And just when Gentō was about to bark out his orders, a girl's voice called out from the busted window, "Okay, that's enough of that."

It was Mika, escorted with Nanami and Alis after they swept the glass away before entering with their shoes removed.

"Sorry for the wait."

"Ah, we made it just in time~" Nanami said.

*Koku koku* Alis nodded.

 **. . . . . . . .**

Gentō and the HELLHOUND squad were stunned to see the youngest daughter coming here.

"Mika… Why are you here‽ What is the meaning of this‽" Gentō demanded.

"Obviously, we're here to stop you, dear father," she answered with a smirk.

"What nonsense are you talking about‽" the businessman cluelessly questioned, "Children should leave and back off- -"

"The one that should back off, Honey, is you," a woman in a formal kimono and parasol said as she made her appearance with red leaves for flair.

Gentō and the witnessing HELLHOUND soldiers were taken aback by the person that they started to feared the most.

"Why are you…?" Gentō asked.

"No matter how you look at it, you're the one who is in the wrong here, my foolish husband," the woman said, "I was preparing to return to my culinary school to oversee the building and here you are, wrecking somebody's house again."

Naruto asked Haruka, "Is she related to you?"

"Yes, that's my dear mother," Haruka answered.

"Mo… your mother‽" he exclaimed, "I thought she could be passed off as an older sister or relative, ya know!"

The woman gave Naruto a simple chuckling smile before turning to her husband, "Now, Honey, Haruka is doing her best with her studies. So why not approve our daughters of one little hobby?"

"Shut up, Akiho!" Gentō argued, "You weren't needed- -"

" _ **"Weren't needed?"**_ " the woman now named Akiho gave her husband a menacing, dominating, and fiendish look that made him cower many times over, _**"Haruka is my daughter, too. Are you saying that my concern for her is not needed? Am I wrong?"**_

"N-no…" the whipped husband replied weakly, "It's just a slip of the tongue..." and his hairs on his head slowly started to turn paler.

"Honey, you actually understand, don't you?" Akiho relented, "What Haruka and Naruto-san said is all true. Just believe in them. I don't really understand animé and manga, either. However, that is a decision Haruka made by herself. It's the first one she has ever made on her own. If we don't have faith in her, what will happen then?"

"I don't need you to tell me that!" Gentō defeatingly and defiantly said.

"My, oh my. Then it's all settled now?" Akiho said before turning to Haruka, "That's great, you have your father's approval now."

"I'm glad that's over," Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, Haruka cheerfully embraced Naruto as felt happier than ever.

And as he also hugged his girlfriend, he gets annoyed that Mika, the maids, Ruko, Yukari, Gentō, and even the HELLHOUND soldiers were staring at their "romantic" moment.

(Alis started to blush from witnessing a grown-up, yet joyous matter.)

Gentō, of course, wasn't really very happy that a boy is stealing the heart of his oldest daughter away.

"I did not approve of this outlandish behavior! Unhand her now!"

But Alis pacified Gentō with a club to the noggin to quell his behavior down, by Akiho's request.

 **-NUS-**

After everything is settled down, Akiho and Gentō (after his wife gave him another warning on his pride) gave their consent for Naruto to let him date Haruka, as long as he keep things under control.

Gentō also promised to repair and replace whatever was broken (the door, the den window, and the cut wires).

"Fair enough," Naruto agreed, "Because my parents would likely sue you for damages and likely ruin your reputation as well. We don't want that, now do we?" And they decided to pass the situation off as the blown objects from the typhoon wrecking the place. _(A little white lie, perhaps.)_

The businessman obliged as he and Akiho prepare to take the copter back to the mansion. Before they left, Akiho told Haruka to continue with her studies in order to maintain her father's trust and approval.

Gentō also apologized to Naruto and the household for his grievances toward him, because he lost his temper and did something very immature.

Naruto forgave the big brute anyways, because he, too, went a little overboard, breaking his opponent's sword.

Then Gentō said, "I have met many different people since I've been making a living as a businessman. But you were the first to express your opinion like that in front of me. Naruto Ayase!" He looked at the young man in the eye, "I'll remember that name!"

"So will I, Gentō Nogizaka," Naruto replied.

Naruto also gave Akiho a small bundle full of pictures concerning about Haruka's injuries as blackmail material, without her husband knowing, and the Ayase knows that she is the one who really wears the [pants] in her family and Gentō isn't even the master of his own home.

And the Nogizaka parents and HELLHOUND left.

To Ruko, Yukari, Mika, and the maids, it's just another average day as they returned back to the house to enjoy some company time in breakfast, but this eventful day has made both Naruto and Haruka feel closer than ever as they clasped their hands together.

A true expression of an Innocent Smile.

§

To be continued…==»

 **Side Story**

 _Naruto's Chronicles in the Chakra Islands Part 6_

 _"If you're going to come at me with the sharp, pointed end, you better have the resolve to do so. Otherwise, you'll be a long time dead."_

[At the Konoha Exam Room]

Naruto is surrounded by other kunoichi in the random seating as he ended up in the front row. Hinata Hyuga (little miss Bushel Britches) is seated to his left, Kin Tsuchi (who is interested in him) to his right, and in the row behind him (starting from the left) are Temari Torisuna (who is surprised that the person who pacified the situation earlier is here), Ino Yamanaka (who still didn't like Naruto much), Mirin (who's still mad that her brother outdid her performance), Fujiko of Takiyama (the student of Fūko Shichinin who never thought she and her partners ever meet the Konoha student turned rookie Genin again), and Karin Uzumaki (who treats him more like a brother).

Sometimes, Naruto wondered how did he ever got himself into this mess.

The proctors then passed out the individual papers (face down), pencils, sharpeners, and erasers for the test. Ibiki Morino (the head proctor) warned the examinees not to turn the papers until he said go, not to answer the last question until a later notice, and not to get caught cheating, otherwise, the proctors will report and the guilty candidate and team will be kicked out of the exam.

And then, right at the exact hour, Ibiki begins the test…

 **-NUS:G-**

After about 45 minutes have passed, 15 teams were caught cheating, mostly from carelessly looking at Naruto's neighboring examinees' papers and were given the boot. Naruto did learn his mathematics from his study guides and put them to good use, without having to look at the other examinees' papers.

The last question on the test is a real risk-taker. Should they stay and take on the challenge at the cost of possibly losing their allies (if not the village), for getting into the enemies' stronghold, or simply back off and live another day? That's the question. _(To be or not to be?)_

8 more teams unfortunately took the coward's way out and failed their part of the exam.

After a few more tense minutes, Naruto declared, "That's it! I'm not backing out of this, 'ttebayo! If you think that this "risk" is going to stop me from trying, you got another thing coming!"

"You're willing to try, boy?" Ibiki questioned.

"You bet your ass, I will!" Naruto dared.

After a few moments of waiting, Ibiki declared that Naruto and the remaining candidates has successfully passed the test and explained the real reason behind the last question and the whole test behind it.

And after Ibiki finished explaining the details, Anko arrived, busting through the window and threw out some kunai tied to some ropes and a banner saying (translated from Japanese):

 **Konoha's Sexiest Proctor:**

 **Anko Mitarashi**

{Oh, spare me the theatricks,} Naruto smirkingly mocked as he rested his head on his upright arm.

{Jumping the gun, as usual…} Ibiki mused to himself.

"All eyes on me, boys and girls!" Anko declared to the examinees, "There's no time to celebrate just yet! I'll be your next Proctor for the next test: Anko Mitarashi. You're ready for it? Good! Let's go and follow me!"

"Anko-sensei, read the atmosphere!" Naruto complainingly droned.

"You're timing is off…again!" Ibiki agreed.

The buxom teacher felt embarrassingly miffed by her student and her associate, making a fool of herself in front of the crowd. But then she noticed that there are 20 teams and 2 solo members are left, so she questioned her associate, "Ibiki? You left these number of candidates to pass? You must be getting soft on them for giving them such an easy test.

"Or maybe that's because we may have a strong crop this time around," the scarred proctor countered.

"And I see that my student is among them, I see. But when I am done with them, there won't be at least about half of them that would likely pass this one. Oh, this is going to be fun." She turned to the candidates, "All right, you maggots may have it so far, but things are going to be different, starting first thing in the morning. I hope you're prepared for what lies in store. Everybody, except Naruto Ayase, is dismissed. I'm going to have a word with him."

And the candidates have left the exam room, through an alternative exit out of the building. She asked her student, "You're having a good time?"

"You might say I have, sensei," Naruto said as he is loosening his joints, "This test isn't so hard, ya know."

Then Anko delivered the special prize for Naruto and said, "This is your reward for completing the Temple route without getting caught and/or discovered." She gave him a package, containing the tools from the Temple Run: the bamboo tube, fishing rod, lockpicks, the kasugai (climbing tools), Ninja Veil, and book on tips on how to make a better ninja (poisons from certain fish and shellfish, colored rice, bombs - lethal and non-lethal, etc).

"Now just a minute!" Mirin yelled rentered the room as she overheard what the reward was about, "How come the Nokémono deserve those important tools, 'ttemayo! He doesn't have the right to have them!"

But Anko explained, "FYI, you spoiled brat, Naruto earned them fair and square after he completed his first real test. You just got careless, twice for letting yourself nearly get caught. And besides, you move as slow as syrup while you were solving those puzzles. What do you have to say now, brown cow?"

"Why I oughta- -" the twin sister growled with her hands clenched in fists of rage, but then, Kushina quickly stepped in and grabbed her oldest daughter by the ear and angrily said, "You will do nothing, 'ttebane! Young lady, you can have your set once we get to the Ninja Supply Store, but you will do no such harm to your brother and Anko. Do you understand, dattebane?"

"Yes, mother, dattemayo," Mirin replied as she was ordered to leave and return home.

Then Kushina turned to Naruto and begged, "Please, Naruto-musuko! Drop out of the exam this instant! You must come back home to us. If you don't, you could end up- -"

"Kushina-san," Anko interrupted, "Naruto's becoming a man the moment your husband and your Council placed the headband on him. It's his decision to take the exam, even though your husband tricked him into it."

"That's none of your business, 'ttebane!" Kushina argued, "You may be a former student of Orochimaru, but Naruto must drop out of this exam! There's been news about going about that your teacher's brother is lurking about!"

"And if we find that cowardly cobra, we'll be ready for him! But more importantly, Naruto-kun is more than ready to tackle the next test, because I personally trained him there."

"Gosh, I didn't know you cared, Sensei," Naruto remarked before turning to his biological mother, "As for you, mother, why don't you just go away? You have no business tending to my affairs like that. If you forcefully drop me out from the Chunin Exams, I'm not joining your ninja ranks again and I'm heading back home in Japan, dattébayo, whether you like it or not." And he excused himself with a shunshin.

Kushina asked herself loudly, "Where did I go wrong? We, of the Uzumaki clan are supposed to be family and stick together. Why?"

"Don't ask me, you terrible woman," Anko replied, "You started this mess the moment you abandoned your first son in the first place, no thanks to Orochi and the Sannin's involvement and that old vulture, too." She resumed assisting Ibiki with the papers, while Kushina hanged her head low in misery as she returned home.

Ibiki called for Anko's attention and noticed that Naruto and Mirin's papers and what they saw astonished them - Mirin's answers are totally blank, and it looks like there were signs that she was sweating her thoughts out as she tried hard not to get caught cheating, but Naruto's paper shows a different kind of sweat from writing his answers down. His answers were all correct, but then there's a note along the side and it read:

In my opinion,

somebody is trying to

ma **k** e the exam an

eventu **a** l hell for

lovers of hate and the

laws in the land won't

a **b** solve the innocent from the

relief from the **u** navoidable **t** errors **o** f

an inevitable

threat.

And Anko looked closer to Naruto's code and the first letters, saying, "I smell a rat". and the bold letters spell out "Kabuto".

Could it be Kabuto Yakushi? He has been taking the exams for the 7th time in a row (almost to his 4th year trying) and he should have the capability to be already a Chunin Rank or maybe Jonin-ranked by now. Ibiki says that Kabuto is a registered Konoha-nin with 2 partners that are a bit too suspicious. Not to mention, the Yakushi used some Nin-cards about the said people with secrets much too revealing to the public, including Naruto's status in how many missions he completed (30 D's, 10 C's, 3 B's, 1 A, and surprisingly, 1 S rank from discovering a hidden hideout while doing a D-Rank mission) by Sasuke's request.

Ibiki has his suspicions that Kabuto hasn't been reported in the Konoha reserve roster, and that he heard from the local hospital that somebody is killing off more important patients rather than healing them and he's associated with certain viper (and it's not Orochimaru). And that's when they contacted the Kage about those details given by an "anonymous" person.

- **NUS:G** -

[The next day, 09:00 hour, Training Ground 44 - Forest of Death]

Naruto is geared up in his forest camo gear that he bought from a travelling merchant in the event. It was a fair price and it's tailored to a ninja's standard for his taste. He even took a bath with scentless soap and shampoo (eco-friendly) for precaution against any fauna that caught wind of him whenever he's in the mood for hunting.

Mirin, the Rookie 9 (including Satsuki), Neji's team, and Karin's Team managed to come to the main outer gates of TG44 after meeting their main rival (Naruto) before parting ways to the separate starting areas.

Sasuke (the birdbrain) and his team are nowhere in sight, Naruto thought, they either didn't come or are probably at the other end of the TG.

And Naruto explored just about everything inch of the forest while training with Anko the study the flora and fauna that are considered edible, poisonous, or even venomous to the inquisitive person. There's even a river that flows through the area where certain species of fish that is essential for the survivalist, if handled properly.

And before the next part of the exam begins, Anko and a few people passed out some insurance papers, stating that should a candidate, or many, perish in the exam, the region of Konoha and its denizens are not to be held responsible.

And after that, they signed and notarized the document before returning it to Anko.

All of the sudden, Naruto sensed someone threw a kunai at him, but he avoided it with ease, but he felt a pair of bulges hugging his back.

"Naruto, are you trying to fool me with your false bravado?" Anko queried with a tantalizing position that a few witnesses couldn't avert what they're seeing (including a few nosebleeds), "You could get yourself killed with your overconfidence and you won't see your girlfriend again." She made a slurping sound.

"Sensei, you're not my girlfriend and I'm not as crazy as you are, dattébayo," Naruto countered, "Just get off of me!"

"Fine, then. I was only kidding," the adder-woman said as she lets go of her student, "I know you're trying to stay true to your real girlfriend back on the mainland. I'm just here to make you understand about women."

"Haruka isn't my girlfriend… yet."

And Naruto returned the thrown kunai back, but Anko insisted that he keep it for whatever is needed.

And after everything is signed and delivered, Anko gave the conditions to the candidates:

\- The teams have 5 days to make it all the way to the tower in the center of the TG.

\- They were given separate scrolls at the start of the exam - Either a 天 (Ten) scroll or a 地 (Chi) scroll, but must have at least a set of Ten and Chi scrolls in order to pass.

\- One whole team must be together in order to proceed to the next part, with the quota in hand. Should they have one member short (by getting lost, held as prisoner(s), or killed) before time has elapsed or entered the tower, will be automatically be disqualified. Solo members are exceptional.

\- Last, but not least, just try not to die.

And then, the gates are opened and Anko begins the game.

(Naruto was given a Chi scroll.)

 **-NUS:G-**

Naruto breezed through the branches of the dense forest, as he trained in that very location for a while with his doubles. When he detected a team, completely unaware; it was Sasuke's lousy civilian team (a boy and a girl that shall be rendered nameless).

The girl (Toadie #1) was taking a leak from all the waiting in line for the game to start. She is left unprotected for an easy target, if it all goes well. As she was putting her panties back on, she felt someone grabbed her by the throat as she tried to scream, but was yanked by a dangling Naruto as she was knocked unconscious to the head. She doesn't have a scroll, but the girl is one of the many people antagonizing Naruto for the last few months.

The Ayase transformed himself into Toadie #1 and asked for one of her partners to come over.

And just when the civilian boy (Toadie #2) came by and found his partner feeling rather antsy and asked if there's anything wrong, the disguised Naruto knocked Toadie #2 to the gut, knocking him out.

"Sorry, friend," Naruto said as he decided to pull a prank on Sasuke's Toadies by stripping both of them down to their skivvies and tied them together, face to face and grabbed their emergency flare and fired one to the air, signaling that Sasuke's team admitted defeat.

But when Naruto noticed that Sasuke didn't come back to retrieve his partners, he knew that the birdbrain abandoned them. So he pursues the unkind Uchiha.

But then, he senses danger, he finds a giant serpent aiming to devour the Ayase whole, Naruto uses his chakra chains into an anti-serpentine formation and called the technique: [Serpent Strangle]. The chain began to pierce the serpent like it was stitched up and started to tighten into a stranglehold. Then Naruto uses a big piece of a sharpened branch and impaled the giant serpent through the head and its brain, thusly putting it out of its misery, after a long set of undead wriggling, still stuck to the branch.

"You're luggage," Naruto said as he sighed a breath of relief. He started to hate being hunted by snakes. Giant ones and dead ones that can still move, even.

As the Ayase was summoning his doubles to skin the snake for sustenance and some skin to be tanned, he notices a special mark that said it belonged to the Snake Clan. Maybe he'll find them and apologized to them for losing one of of their species.

It took about 20 minutes to salvage the remains before making a silent prayer for the blessing, as Naruto kept on moving ahead to find more of the scrolls.

 **-NUS:G-**

Naruto senses something more dangerous than the giant serpent. And sure enough, he was about several paces away from Sasuke when he notices a man that looked similar to Orochimaru prepare to bite against Sasuke's neck to give him a curse, but ended up biting a smoke bomb (a substitution) and then blinded by a flash bomb.

Naruto also used the technique that he took most of evening perfecting the art and it's called, [Cicada Escape Jutsu], leaving Sasuke's torn shirt behind.

The snake man swore, "I'll have my revenge someday! And mark my words, Orochi, my dear brother... I, Yamatamaru, will raze Konoha and the whole nation to the ground!"

And he made good his escape.

 **-NUS:G-**

Naruto carried the unconscious Sasuke and pilfered his supplies and one of the required scrolls. It was the Ten scroll.

As Naruto packed the scroll into his backpack, he said, "Sorry, Sasuke, but your mother would be angry with me if I let you get killed without serious repercussions. And besides that, your team is out of the race. See ya." And he shunshins away from the scene.

"Curse you, you m************! I wanted more power and you took it away from me!" the loser Uchiha cursed as he lost his scroll, just as Anko arrived and dragged his sorry butt out of the forest. Toadies 1 and 2 woke up and found that they're tied up, with their lower regions a little too close for comfort. They tried to escape, but they hadn't learned the [Rope Escape] and the bindings only made things get tighter. But when they ended up kissing each other, the rest is history, as they ended up having their first date in hopeless place and they were taken away by the proctors away from the madness. Maybe they ought to thank their (former) enemy for that little set-up.

 **-NUS:G-**

Naruto sometimes looked for the hidden shelters that Yamatamaru left behind, after letting the Jonin inspected the locations. He used the locations as markers for whenever the need is necessary. Along the way, he found Mor'du the Wild Grizzly Bear fighting against Shere Khan the Ferocious Tiger for territory again, as well as mauling an unfortunate team to death, and they spotted Naruto hopping around near their turf. And when they try to tackle him with their claws and brute strength, they were taken by surprise by a giant falling tree as it somehow landing on Mor'du hard (thusly ending its miserable life) and Shere Khan got caught in a trap designed for tigers.

Naruto grimaces at those two beasts and said, "I warned you idiots that if I catch eating people again, I…" and he and his doubles skinned the already dead bear, leaving the remains for the carrion, because having bear fricassee is just too unfit for eating, now that the bruin have tasted human flesh, as did Shere Khan. However, Naruto took pity on the tiger, knowing that he's an endangered species in the known world, and that he's got a mate and a litter of cubs. Shere Khan also has a fear of fire since one of the previous exams as one of the candidates used a fire jutsu on his feet and the end of his tail. From that day on, he hates man with a passion, but with Naruto, he lets the tiger go and took the bear skin with him in his sealing scroll, ready to be tanned for use.

At least, Shere Khan and his clan of tigers won't be so hungry for a while and acknowledged that the Ayase is considered the apex predator and a worthy opponent.

 **-NUS:G-**

The next day, Naruto broke camp from one of Yamatamaru's abandoned bases and was about to leave when he hears the scream coming from Satsuki's team. As he approached, he notices that the team from Otomura is attacking Sakura and a deafened Lee (who's eardrums were ruptured from Dosu Kinuta's Sound Arm) while her partners Satsuki and Sai were busy hunting for prey.

Naruto decided to take the stealthy approach and use the shadows of the trees to his advantage and take the surprise to them.

Just when Zaku Abumi (the third Otomura member) was about to attack with his augmented arms that unleashes slicing soundwaves, he was grabbed by the neck by Naruto, dangling from above, and he gagged until he lost consciousness... foaming at the mouth.

Dosu wonders what happened to Zaku, but was caught from behind as Naruto puts the bandaged man into a Running Headlock, giving him a concussion, knocking him out.

Kin, who was busy grabbing Sakura by the hair was distracted for a moment as the latter used the opportunity to cut her long hair off to escape her foe's clutches. Kin is stuck in two situations: a would be assassin took two of her partners down, and the pink kunoichi was getting away with Lee. Just then, the Otomura was grabbed from behind with a strange buzzing sound next to her face.

"Unless you want to have an extreme makeover, I suggest you don't try anything that you're going to regret, member of Yamatamaru's genin," Naruto darkly warned.

"You know of Yamata-sensei?" Kin asked.

"Of course, his brother Orochimaru still misses his younger brother while I was busy. And tell me, why is a girl with a scent of cats hanging with riffraff like them?"

The Oto-nin explained that Otomura was really a poor economic town that the Kage didn't pay any attention to it. The Governor of the region was giving too much control to Yamatamaru, making him the acting "Kage" by taking the citizens and altered their bodies to whatever he desires. It affected her, as she revealed her identity: she was transformed into a humanoid chimera, a cat-human to be specific. She lets her black cat ears revealing themselves on top of her head, and her black cat tail popped from the coccyx area of her seat.

"It feels good to let it out again," Kin roused while stretched her back and tail, "Keeping it cramped in my ass and sitting on it just isn't my style, you see. I just can't stand hiding my identity as a half-beast. And there's something else, my real name isn't really Kin Tsuchi. It's Blake Belladonna."

"Named after the deadly nightshade flower, I see," Naruto complimented, "But why the alias?"

"To keep the secrecy that Yamata-sen...no, just Yamata made me swear, because he's holding my friends and family hostage, including my best friend. He wants not only destruction in my hometown, but also wanted to burn Konoha and everything else to the ground, with himself on top of the heap."

It made Naruto think as he knows that the now revealed Blake is telling the truth, thanks to Uzumaki instinct, as he released the Catgirl, and then he got an idea.

"Well, Blake-san, I have an idea. I'm going to have to capture you as my P.O.W. and we'll see about your town and your precious people. Your team will be disqualified for it, dattébayo. You're sure want to go on?"

Blake consented as well as she surrendered her held scrolls (1 Ten and 2 Chi scrolls) as she followed her "warden" to the center of the TG.

 **-NUS:G-**

It took about a half a day to hunt some fish that Blake liked to eat (both raw and cooked) and some extra provisions that Naruto packed. They started to enjoy each other's company every time they needed to rest.

And by the time Naruto and Blake were getting close to the tower, the Ayase senses a trap set by the trio from Murasame by means of putting them into a mental loop. Unfortunately, the Murasame trio didn't count on the wildlife catching the would-be hunters by surprise, namely a giant centipede wrapped its body around one Murasame nin and bit his head off.

It caused fear into everyone, except, Naruto, because he trained inside the forest and that he saw a few dead bodies (or what's left of them) in the forest floor.

The second Murasame tried to use Genjutsu to hide himself, but the centipede caught wind of his scent and bit the poor sap in the thigh, envenoming him. The venom took effect in seconds and the nin died before he was torn apart.

The last Murasame nin lost his confidence and countenance as he soiled his pants as he ran away like a poltroon before the centipede pursued and stabbed its legs through its victim's back and ripped his head off with its mandibles.

Naruto decided that enough's enough as he carefully positioned himself in front of Blake, focused his kunai, and threw out and yelled, "Chew on this!," and the charged weapon stabbed the giant bug through its brain and was sent flying to a tree, squirming until it can move no more.

Blake commented, "That was a little anticlimactic, isn't it, Naruto-san?"

"That's the trouble in this deadly forest, Blake-san," he replied as he summoned up his doubles to gather the fallen nins' iron headbands and bottle the centipede venom from its fangs for later study, "The flora and fauna in this very area can smell fear and overconfidence a mile away. I think it's called "The Law of the Jungle". It's hunt or get hunted. And it's as simple as that, dattébayo."

They gave a silent prayer to the deceased before procuring a Ten scroll and entering the tower.

 **-NUS:G-**

[Inside the Tower]

After breathing a sigh of relief, Naruto and Blake came across a signpost about training for what was lacking and vice versa. But now that he has two sets of Ten and Chi scrolls, Naruto and Blake unraveled them. They begin to smoke and tossed the scrolls into an X-formation and *POOF!* two Konoha nin were summoned out of the scrolls - Anko and Shizune.

They congratulated Naruto for completing the task, but then noticed that he has a "prisoner" with him. The Ayase introduced Kin Tsuchi- - or rather, Blake Belladonna, to the women and how she got herself into such a predicament from the adder's projects. Anko knows that the Otomura team is officially disqualified and Naruto mentioned about the mess outside of the tower, presenting the loose, bloodied headbands from the deceased.

"Better call the coroner… or two," Shizune said as she left the room to gather the dead from the fields.

Naruto then also mentioned to Anko that Yamatamaru is about, wanting to put curse marks on his potential victims.

"By the way, Anko-sensei, how far did I make?"

Anko checked her stopwatch and she read, "1 day, 9 hours, and 5 minutes. You came in at 3rd place, behind Sabakutoshi siblings and Nai-chan's team."

This gives plenty of time to rest, clean up, socialize, and of course, training in body, mind, and spirit, as well as tanning the hides that Naruto collected into the sun room.

Blake wanted to train as well, even though, she couldn't participate in the tournament. She needed to keep herself in shape with the extra 3 days to spare.

 **-NUS:G-**

Then came the deadline.

Out of the 62 candidates (20 3-man Squads and 2 solo members), only 26 (8 3-man squads and 2 solo members) remain. Of those that were disqualified, 7 teams were unable to continue, 5 teams were either KIA or MIA.

Of the Teams that qualified were:

\- Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara

\- Kiba, Shino, and Hinata

\- Naruto

\- Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji

\- Mirin

\- Hibiki, Fujiko, and Mitsuki

\- Karin, Jūgo, and Suigetsu

\- Lee, Neji, and Ten-Ten

\- Satsuki, Sai, and Sakura

\- Kabuto, Yoroi, and Misumi (under the (false) pretense of a Konoha Banner)

As they were gathered around to the battle arena, Minato and Kushina welcomed the 26 candidates for coming after completing the 3rd test. However, Hayate Gekko (Yuugao's lover and Jonin who previously suffered a lung ailment but recovered thanks to Shizune's discovery) came by said to the Kage as he pointed out that due to having too many fighters for the main event, there will be a preliminary bout to thin out the numbers.

Before they begin the match, Hayate asked the candidates if they want to back off from matches, at the cost of disqualification.

Kabuto raised his hand and gave an alibi that he was too injured to continue, leaving the fighters down to 25.

Then, with the help of a scoreboard, the names of 2 combatants were randomly drawn to be the combatants for the showdown.

Satsuki Uchiha

VS

Karin Uzumaki

The other non-combatants were to be sent upstairs outside of the ring to avoid any unwanted confrontations.

Hayate saw that both kunoichi are ready and said, "Shinkenshōbu, hajimé!"

And while Satsuki readies a defensive stance and Karin prepares to attack, the other rookies and the Takiyama trio noticed that Naruto has a girl that looked familiar next to him as they watched the match.

"What's an Otomura nin doing here with the Nokémono?" Sakura complained.

"She's not supposed to come here!" Ino yelled.

"Will you two banshees give it a rest, dattébayo!" Naruto shushed them, "Blake-san just quit her team and is an important witness. So, I'm taking ward of her until the exam is over."

"But isn't that Kin Tsu- -" Ino nearly blabbed, when Naruto covered her mouth and said, "Shut up. You're being a fool, you idiot! Are you trying to have her tortured and have her and everybody else killed?"

Ino shook her head.

"Then not another word out of you about this. Understand?"

Naruto releases his grip off of the Yamanaka as he knows that Kabuto and his two flunkies are on to him and Blake.

And then, Naruto senses that the finishing blow hit Karin, knocking her glasses off, busting them in the process.

"Shōbuari!" Hayate declared, "Shōsha (Winner): Satsuki! Omedetō."

Satsuki helped Karin back on her feet, apologizing for the broken eyeglasses.

"It's all right. I needed to go to eye doctor anyway to get an update on my exam."

And the two Konoha friends walked upstairs to mend their bruises and wounds.

The next two names were randomly drawn and it shows:

Fujiko

VS

Shino Aburame

Both combatants proceeded downstairs to the arena and begin the match.

Fujiko threw out some of her weapons, but instead of hitting Shino, they ended up hitting a bug clone, instead. The real Shino caught the unsuspecting kunoichi and demanded her to yield before she gets bitten by his parasitic insects, draining her energy.

Fujiko consented and admitted defeat.

"Good thing, too," Naruto commented, "Those types of bugs can sap the enemy's strength many times their size as well as using them in numbers. I saw it happen to an unfortunate nin in TG44 and UGH!, it wasn't a pretty sight, dattébayo."

Some of the audience nearly gagged themselves from the imagination of a man swollen from the bug bites' allergic reaction, while a few others think that the imaginary victim ended up nothing but bones and a puddle of blood.

Then came the next match:

Kankuro Torisuna

VS

Misumi Tsurugi

The battle appeared to be one-sided when Misumi uses his Soft Physique Manipulation and snapped Kankuro's neck, but the foe was actually a puppet.

"Now, it's my turn, so say goodbye, a******!" Kankuro's voice ventriloquistedly said through the puppet's mouth as the real Kankuro unwrapped himself from the bindings as he uses the Crow Puppet via chakra strings to bind his foe and said, "I'll break everything, but your neck!" Most of Misumi's skeletal frame were either fractured or broken by the puppet's vice-like grip. Hayate called for medics to take the "rubber man" out and secretly detain him for questioning.

The next match is:

Sakura Haruno

VS

Ino Yamanaka

It was one of the most dissatisfying matches. Both Sasuke fangirls were fighting like sissies (pulling hair and ripping off clothes) and not as kunoichi. The crowd booed and throw out any loose rock, pebble, or piece of trash at them. Even Hayate is disappointed as he called out their teachers to call off the match and throw them into the holding cells until they behaved themselves. A session in the seamstressing wouldn't do those girls any harm.

Round 5:

Temari Torisuna

VS

Hibiki

Hibiki thought she has the advantage with her multi-shuriken Shadow Clone technique and her Fire Jutsu, but Temari outwitted her with her Kamaitachi Wind Technique sending her foe flying in the air and fell down and landed hard on closed fan, injuring Taki kunoichi's lower spine.

Round 6:

Shikamaru Nara

VS

Jūgo Tenjuin

It was a wild battle as Jūgo has the ability to transform his body into a living weapon, as he changes his hands into axes and charged at Shikamaru, but the Nara (who is normally a slacker) uses his [Me and My Shadow] Art at the moment Jūgo smashed himself to the wall and turn to find that his shadow is pinned down. Then Shikamaru does the improbable: he bends his body backwards, almost like he was willing to do a gymnastic somersault, as Jūgo's body was forced to follow and then hit his head against the wall behind him, knocking him out with a concussion.

Round 7 came one ninja's time to shine:

Naruto Ayase

VS

.

.

.

 **To be continued…**

»-Line Break-«

A/N: Now that's out of the way.

Main Story: Haruka's runaway situation is a little more realistic than the manga and animé scenarios (in my opinion). I also combined both scenarios to extend the story a little bit more to connect them as it went along - the bath scene, Haruka's admiration of Ruko's tolerance towards alcohol and becoming a better woman, and Naruto gets caught in the middle of of the conflict.

To elucidate on how Haruka got hurt before running away to Naruto's house, her father simply lost his temper and used his sword to lop off some of her hair, stepped on her prized possessions (or thought to be after Naruto predicted something like that would happen) and Gentō even slapped her cheek for her misbehavior. The black eye and cut lip are from when Haruka tripped herself a few times, but she kept on going before she reached her destination.

Fortunately, Akiho isn't going to leave her overbearing husband unchallenged, so let's just say he'll be spending some time having no intimacy with his wife in bed and has to sleep on the couch for a week.

("Forgive me… Forgive me…")

That's women's lib for you

I also added a little bit from a classic Looney Tunes' rendition of Dr. Seuss' Horton Hatches the Egg to add a flair to it. Try watching the cartoon and read the short story, too. You'll like it.

Also, I couldn't help but to put a haiku into the scenario like one of the previous chapters. With a little inspiration, writing a haiku isn't a bad little side project.

Side Story: The next part of the Chunin Exams is continuing. I decided to more of the Tenchu references (seriously, we need more Tenchu crossovers, darn it!) to survive in the forest.

As you realize, the mysterious semi-OC I put in is Yamatamaru, Orochimaru's little brother. He was once a kind person before the last civil war, years prior, that put him in a case of PTSD and the previous Kage (Hiruzen Sarutobi) trusted Danzo through a program to make people feel more at ease… which was a big mistake. And that mistake causes Yamatamaru to go rogue and left Konoha, causing chaos and destruction everywhere he goes. He even made some hidden laboratories here and there, but is still careless on leaving them behind for anybody (like Naruto) to find them.

Also, I hate to make the side story as dark as it seemed, but that what happened when I put some realistic ideas on the fly. We can't all be winners...

Instead of making the Chunin Preliminary fights much too short or too long, I rather just make them into minute details, but Naruto's match? We'll just wait and see.

Another thing, the idea of turning Kin Tsuchi into Blake Belladonna is somewhat based on a idea from different fanfic "Naruto: Tornado of Souls" by _**Thayerblue1**_ ; a Naruto and RWBY crossover story. It's a rather interesting take on the body and spirit takeover from the RWBY world and into the Naruto world. It's a very good story, but it's relatively NOT for the younger audience, mind you.

And one more thing: plagiarism and stealing one's stories isn't the right thing to do. It's a big no-no, because it hurts us authors and readers.

Get your own ideas and remix them, but don't go and directly steal them, period. Respect the original authors and those who gave out alternative ideas..

And the heat of passion will be on!

-blukmage19


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 _If You Look at Me That Way…_

 _Must Be Something in My Eye_

§

[At a familiar street]

The students have finally returned from summer vacation as they were heading toward their respective schools.

A particular bishōnen fanatic was walking to the academy with his nose - - no, his whole face stuck in a Comiket book just as Naruto was passing by.

"Good morning, Nobunaga," the blondish student greeted.

"Morning," Nobunaga greeted back without a care in the world.

"You seemed to becoming involved first thing in the morning, ya know. Still stuck on the Comiket Guide?"

"Checking the private circles is what's important as 80% of the Comiket depends on it."

"Is it that big of a deal?"

"To us fanatics, it's the greatest event of all. So you plan to come to the event?"

A couple of passersby were walking towards the students in an opposite direction as both skillfully avoided bumping into them as Naruto replied, "It's much too soon to tell, ya know. We have other plans and that means it's back to the old electronic brain."

Nobunaga and Naruto used their senses to avoid bumping another passerby via quick movements, but the Ayase wondered whose luck is about to change. Unfortunately, it was his! Naruto somehow accidentally bumped into…guess who? Shiina Amamiya.

He managed to catch her from falling onto a nearby bush, preventing her from having another panty-flaunting catastrophe...this time.

"We just got to stop bumping to each other like that, Shiina-san," he said as he lets the redheaded girl regain her bearings.

"Yeah," she said, "We shouldn't stop so suddenly, ya know."

This is the 4th time that Naruto and Shiina kept running into each other in rather strange coincidences.

"Could it be destiny that _you're_ after me?" she asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," Naruto denied, "We're family, ya know. Distant cousins, even. But more importantly, that uniform…?"

"Oh, this?" Shiina noticed, "As of today, I'm a transfer student in Hakujoh Academy, ya know."

 **-NUS-**

[Hakujoh Academy, Class 11-1]

Shiina puts her name on the chalkboard in her style of handwriting:

天宮 椎菜 (Amamiya Shiina)

...and in introduced herself to her new classmates, "I'm Shiina Amamiya. Although I had to transfer at a strange time, due to my parents' careers, I'll do my best not to be forgotten."

Most of the other boys of the class were infatuated about Shiina as the 3 stooges declared,

 _(Nagai»)_ "A pretty girl is here!"

 _(Takenami»)_ "A new generation is at hand!"

 _(Ogawa»)_ "That time is now!"

"Nice to meet you," Shiina finished her introduction.

Naruto sighed that the male classmates are such mushheads to fall for pretty girls; first they wanted Haruka to be their close friend and groupie, and now it's Shiina who's on the spot. But nevertheless, he's glad that his cousin will be joining the class roster from now on.

Then Yukari suggested an empty seat to Naruto's right (near the inner wall) and the new student obliged.

Shiina checked her new seat and said to Naruto with a wink, "Maybe it is destiny about us, after all."

Naruto gave off a slightly awkward chuckle as Shiina extended her hand in friendship and said, "I look forward to your company, Ayase-kun."

Naruto shook hands and said, "Naruto's fine."

"You can still call me Shiina, if you like," the Amamiya suggested.

Of course, Haruka is curious about her boyfriend's interaction with the new student and acquaintance.

 **-NUS-**

[A little later...]

The students are busy chatting with Shiina while Naruto and Haruka are having a briefing about their new friend.

"Naruto-san, is that person who I think she is?" the Nogizaka asked.

"Yes," he answered, "Shiina is the person that we met a few times, albeit with rather impeccable timing."

They remembered the time with Hazuki's shopping trip and the time in London. Naruto mentioned to Haruka that Shiina is a distant relative of the former Uzumaki clan currently living in Hokkaido.

 _(Of course, he didn't want to recall of the awkwardness every he and Shiina kept getting themselves into.)_

Meanwhile, the students started asking the new girl some questions, namely from the 3 Stooges,

Nagai, "Amamiya-san, what are your hobbies and specialties?"

Takenami, "How about your three sizes?"

And Ogawa, "Do you believe in destiny?"

But the 3 Stooges get slapped with a folded fan by Ryōko Sawamura _(a bold verdette)_ who scolded, "What's with you and those stupid questions the moment you see Amamiya-san?"

"But…" the trio tried to make an excuse.

"Sorry about that, Amamiya-san," Mai Asahina _(a shy brunette wearing eyeglasses)_ apologized.

"No, it's fine," Shiina said before revealing some of her personal details, "My hobby is karaoke. My specialties are playing the piano and naginatajutsu _(the art of wielding the naginata spear)_."

Nagai, Takenami, and Ogawa are impressed by her talents and what they're anticipating next, "My three sizes? Not telling."

 _(Ohh… Tough luck, boys…)_

"And my destiny? I wonder…" And she looked at Naruto and Haruka that somehow caught their attention - getting to know Naruto better and to give Haruka some competition in piano playing, even trying to be at the top for a while, but still be a good sport in the end.

 **-NUS-**

Shiina shows much progress in her schooling, translating English into their native language, doing well in sports - such as basketball during gym class.

Of course, the boys have to sit the match out as they watch the new girl in action. But that didn't stop them from watching the girls in their bloomers/gym clothes as the Amamiya from making a slam dunk.

At Cooking Class, Mai sampled Shiina's beef stew and said, "Delicious!"

"You can do almost anything!" Ryōko complemented, "It's amazing, Shiina-chan!"

"Well…" the Amamiya made an embarrassing chuckle as she knows of one particular problem.

 **-NUS-**

[Outside at the school grounds]

Naruto and Haruka checked to see how Shiina is coming along.

"She knows how to blend into the class instantly, Haruka," Naruto said, "If this keeps up, nobody would possibly forget her."

"That's true," Haruka agreed with a smile.

That was when Shiina came by and excitedly asked, "Haruka Nogizaka?"

"Y-Yes?" Haruka replied.

"I never got a chance to have a chat with you in London some time ago," Shiina explained.

"Do you know about Haruka?" Naruto curiously asked.

"Of course. There isn't a pianist as great as her! And that's because she won two years in row in the International Piano Competition, representing Japan."

"You don't say? № 1 in the world?" Naruto wondered and turned to Haruka.

"Y-Yes, I did…" Haruka shyly and modestly agreed.

Shiina then said, "I admired you the moment I heard your recital at the competition. To think that we end up in the same class in the school I transferred into."

"You mean that there's something to it?" Naruto asked.

"Could be," Shiina answered with a chuckle and extended her hand to Haruka, "I hope we can get along, Nogizaka-san."

Haruka shook hands and replied, "No, really, the pleasure is all mine."

 **-NUS-**

[Later, back to the classroom]

Yukari explained to the students, "...and so, since we have a swimming tournament next week, just before the upcoming Sports Festival, you'll have to decide on which event you participate in for passing grades. You must be entered in at least one event."

Most of the students were dismayed as they complain and whine to each other about getting themselves into the situation.

Then Yukari added, "Also, your teacher just bought a new sexy swimsuit, so all the boys will go crazy over me, hoo-hoo-hoo! 💕"

While the other students were busy chatting, Naruto deadpanned and said, "You're wasting your time, Sensei." He knows that the teacher still couldn't get herself a date with a "Mr. Right".

Yukari sweatdropped and agonizingly cried animé tears, "Classroom anarchy…😭"

 **-NUS-**

Shiina read the flyer for the relays in the school pool. However, this worries her for some reason.

"What should I do?" she asked herself.

"Shiina-chan," Ryōko caught her classmate's attention, along with Mai, "We're participating in the relays. Would you like to join us?"

Shiina tried to refuse, but Mai insisted, "You're great at basketball, so you must be great in swimming too, right?"

"We'll win for sure, right?" Ryōko confidently asked, "Let's do it!"

"Okay, I guess…" Shiina gave in.

And both Ryōko and Mai are gleefully happy that their friend can take on the swimming event, unaware that Shiina has a particular trouble. So she asked Naruto and Haruka for a briefing.

 **-NUS-**

[At the roof access]

Shiina is talking to Naruto and Haruka.

"Eh‽" Naruto exclaimed from what he just heard, "You mean you can't swim and you accepted to participate in the relays anyway, ya know?"

"I'm fine with other sports, ya know," Shiina explained, "but I'm from Hokkaido, so swimming is just… But since everyone has to participate for a passing grade, I was determined in my own way."

"But determination by itself won't cut it, ya know," Naruto stated.

"That's true," Shiina insisted while fiddling with her fingers, "I don't mind being embarrassed having not knowing how to swim in deeper water, but I feel awful for troubling you, because of it."

Then Haruka has an idea, "Then how about we ask Sensei to let us use the school pool to practice?"

"That's a good idea, Haruka," Naruto agreed, "It's should be all right if we use it for training for the tournament."

"Yes, we'll help out as well, so let's do our best."

"It's okay, it's okay," Shiina insisted, "I'd feel bad for troubling you guys, ya know!"

Naruto then confidently said, "Don't worry, we're doing it because we want to help you. We'll keep that part a secret from everyone else, so that the three of us can practice."

"That's right," Haruka agreed.

"Naruto, Nogizaka-san…" Shiina felt so moved by her friends' confidence and faith in her, and she clasped both of their hands and said, "Thank you! I'll do my best. I'll definitely do my best!"

 **-NUS-**

[Saturday, At the Academy's Swimming Pool]

Naruto is dressed in his Academy's swim trunks as he is busy preparing himself doing warm-ups and stretches before taking a dip in the cool pool. He hears the voice of Shiina getting his attention, "Sorry for keeping you!"

Naruto stopped and turned to see the girls in their one-piece academy swimsuit.

"Ah, beautiful," he quietly murmured.

"I'm here for your guidance, Coach," the Amamiya made a mock-salute.

Haruka felt a bit anxious seeing her boyfriend looking at her strangely as she covered her breasts and nervously said, "Um… Naruto-san, if you stare at me like that…"

"Ah, sorry, must be something in my eye," he apologized and changed the subject, "How about we start with a few warm-up exercises?"

And the small group began their stretching exercises from what he learned in the Chakra Islands. Naruto said to Haruka, "It's a good thing that we have permission for the weekend."

"That's true, and the weather's nice, too," Haruka agreed.

Shiina couldn't help but notice the synergy that her two classmates are feeling.

 **-NUS-**

The students put on their swim caps for resistance as they go into the water. Naruto helped guide Shiina how to swim, with Haruka on standby on leg details.

"Okay, stretch out your legs a bit more," 'Coach' Naruto said, "If your knee's bent, then you won't be able to push forward properly."

Shiina obeyed as she kept kicking in rhythm.

"That's right, just like that," Haruka coached, "Don't forget to breathe on the surface at the right moment to keep yourself afloat."

And as the students train themselves, Yukari called out, "Naru-kun, how's the water?"

Naruto nearly facefaulted from seeing his homeroom teacher in a skimpy, G-string one-piece swimsuit _(showing much of the bikini area, as well as much of her breasts)_ while floating along on a penguin swim prop.

"It's not right not having adult supervision just to leave the students alone by themselves, so I'm here as a supervisor. 💕" She was trying entice her student with her best "puff-puff" with her wiles, "It's quite char-ming, right? 💕"

Haruka and Shiina were surprised at their teacher's boldness, but Naruto is unimpressed, but he wonders if Haruka would look wearing a swimsuit like that, that is if she likes to.

"Haruka-sama! Naruto-sama!" a particular sweet voice called out.

"Meal preparations are ready," a motherly voice said.

It was Nanami, Hazuki, Alis (*koku koku*), and Mika who came by with a picnic basket, some giant Traveler's Watermelons _(the spherical variety)_ , and some more summer props.

"Why are you here?" Haruka asked.

"We heard you two took the liberty of helping out your new friend," Nanami explained, "So we hurried by to cooperate."

"You look more like you're ready to enjoy yourselves, ya know," Naruto is suspicious of the maids' sudden timing.

"That's not true," Nanami denied, "Right, Hazuki-san?"

"It's our duty," the 1st-ranked maid answered.

"Now, now. It's fine, isn't it?" Mika, in her skimpy bikini set, said, "Let's put formalities aside. We won't bother you guys."

"Mika‽" Haruka was surprised to see her younger sister coming here as the latter tossed a beach ball into the pool and then she jumped right into the pool.

"You girls _are_ here just to have fun, weren't ya," Naruto exasperatingly said, but then he smells something cooking and it was Ruko roasting Korean-style barbeque _(the meat being marinated in liquor)_ by a towable grill and guzzling hard tea _(tea with low alcoholic content)_.

"Do you want to eat, Naruto?" she asked and Naruto did a reverse facefault straight from Dragon Ball Z for the bad joke.

"*Even Ruko-oneechan, ya know… blub blub blub...*" the pitiful brother grumbled underwater.

While the other were busy partying, Haruka sweatdropped and apologized to Shiina, "I'm terribly sorry that my family and the maids are intruding."

"And my crazy sister and our teacher, too," Naruto despairingly added.

"No, it's fine," Shiina said and then she laughs at the sudden hilarity, "It's just that… you two are pretty interesting people, ya know."

The lovebirds looked at each other and came to a conclusive thought as Naruto said, "For now, we'll just let them be, ya know. Let's get back to practicing the basics."

 **-NUS-**

Shiina is doing the next step of the basic Freestyle form of swimming with a boogie board between her legs to do the paddle part.

Naruto instructed, "Cut through the water while stretching out your hand more, like this." He demonstrated the technique. However, he accidentally bumped into Mika and ended up catching his fingers on her swim top, exposing her small A-cup breasts as she hid her chest in the water.

"Yaaah!" she exclaimed.

""Yaaah‽"" Naruto wondered what happened until he noticed the trouble, "Mika-chan, you should be more careful, ya know." And he courteously gave the loose swim top back to her.

"Mou! You're just cruel, Onii-san," Mika pretended to be hurt, "Making it accidentally on purpose at the pool, and toying with my beautiful body."

"Sorry, my mistake," Naruto 'innocently' apologized while still looking away.

"But if it's with you, Onii-san," Mika seduced, "...it's-o-kay."

"Please, Mika-chan!" Naruto refused, "None of that, ya know."

"Mika, stop this!" Haruka scolded to her younger sister, "It's not okay to do that to Naruto-san!"

Mika chuckled and said, "I was just only kidding, but Onee-chan, that what's cute a...bout...you. Right, Onii-san?"

"Mika!" the older sister complained while the mischief maker swam away.

 **-NUS-**

Then Shiina continues with her swimming training near the pool's edge as Naruto guided, "Good, just a little faster."

Just then, his ninja sense is telling him something and Haruka shouted, "Naruto-san, watch out!"

And he caught the wooden sword swung by a blindfolded Hazuki trying to split a 'melon - just not the right one. Thank goodness for the well-timed [Perfect Blade Catch] technique.

He swiped the blade and noticed that Mika is guiding the blindfolded maid just to simply annoy him.

"Mika-chan, what the heck are you trying to do, ya know‽" he scolded, "Are you trying to hurt me or something? 'Cause that's not very funny at all!"

And he returned the wooden sword back to Hazuki and turned her to a different target, Mika and Nanami, and started chasing them.

"Go that way, Hazuki-san!" the Ayase said as the original pranksters started making tracks from the pursuit.

Alis is unsure why a wooden sword and a watermelon have something in common for the summer season, so she grabbed a spare wooden sword and managed split the 'melon neatly in half. And she's glad in her effort.

 **-NUS-**

Later, the half-shot Yukari drunkenly called out, "Naru-kun, you have to take care of your teacher and sister once in a while, too!"

"We're short on BBQ and booze, too!" Ruko slurred.

Shiina came by and said to Naruto, "They're calling for you, ya know."

"Just ignore them, ya know," he said as he called forth his Shadow Double for him to go the grocery store to get a few things for the grill and get some fruit juice to sober things up, just for the heck of it.

 **-NUS-**

Mika is relaxing on a floating mat, with Nanami standing by to give her shade, while Shiina continues practicing.

"Now, this will help, right?" Nanami questioned.

"Man! Just do what you must," Naruto awkwardly sighed with Haruka also feeling awkward.

"But I'm really enjoying it," Shiina enthusiastically said, "Thank you, everyone.

"Amamiya-san is splendid, Naruto-san," Haruka said with a cheerful smile and the Ayase agreed.

But after they finished with their swimming, Naruto noticed from his instincts that Shiina's legs must have been overworn from all the sports and activities, so he asked her if she has any problems.

The Amamiya said that she's more of a sporty kind of person, but she did say that, occasionally, she pulled a muscle or two from her activities.

So he suggested Shiina not to overdo herself, put on some analgesic balm _(that he made from some notes by Hanabi Hyuga)_ on the sore, targeted areas, and more importantly, get some much needed rest for the upcoming event.

Shiina thanked her cousin for the advice.

 **-Naruto's Secret-**

[Monday, in the Academy]

"And so, tomorrow is finally the swimming tournament," Yukari said to her students, "Do your best, everybody."

The students of both genders gave a fighting cheer.

"And if you win, your teacher will do something nice for you as...a...re...ward. 💕"

To the students, that somehow gave them the wrong impression, especially, Naruto.

 **. . . . .**

Yukari cried crocodile tears and sobbed, "Oh! Another classroom anarchy!😭"

The move failed to click.

 **-NUS-**

[In the Swimming Pool]

Only Shiina gets to wear her swimsuit, as she is making final preparations for the tournament.

Naruto, Haruka, Mika, and the maids are attending to witness the progress of training.

"Okay, we'll begin then," Naruto said as Shiina gets herself into position for a diving start; she practiced her technique a few times to adjust the timing and the angle.

"To your marks...Bang!" he imitated the starting gun as Shiina is off to a good start in her freestyle relay. It was a 25-meter swim from one end to another.

The group cheered the trainee:

Naruto, "Looking good! Keep it up!"

Mika, "Go, go!"

Haruka, "Do you best!"

And Shiina managed to complete half of the relay and made an about-face and continued her run. After every few strokes, she managed to take a timely breath of air to continue her strokes.

"Just a little farther!" Nanami cheered.

And finally, Shiina managed to complete the course.

"Alright!" Naruto joyfully said.

"Amazing!" Haruka praised as she and the group applauded.

"Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!" Mika and Nanami cheered.

Shiina felt exhausted from her run in the swimming relay and she panted, "I… did it!"

That was when Naruto reached out his hand and said, "That was great, Shiina."

"Well done," Haruka also said.

"Naruto, Nogizaka-san, thank you so much," Shiina replied with a smile, but when she tried to keep a grip, Haruka accidentally slipped on a slick spot near the pool's edge and took Naruto with her for a splash.

Shiina couldn't help but laugh at the sudden hilarity and chuckled, "So-sorry, sorry, but how you both slip and fell…"

And Naruto and Haruka couldn't help but join in on the contagious laughter.

 **-NUS-**

Later, Shiina bid farewell to Naruto and Haruka, as one of the Ayase's doubles escorted the Amamiya home.

Mika noticed that something isn't quite right and said to the original, "Honestly, Onii-san, must you be in more places at once? I thought you weren't going to take Onee-chan home."

"That's right," Nanami agreed.

"So unkind," Hazuki also agreed.

Alis didn't quite understand the situation.

"In case you didn't get the memo," Naruto informed the maids, "Shiina is family to me, ya know. She's my distant cousin, nothing more, and she somehow lives across the street from my house. Besides, I wouldn't trade Haruka away for anybody else."

Haruka couldn't help but get enthralled at her boyfriend's loyalty as she clasped his left arm.

"Naruto, I don't mind walking home by myself, if that's what you wanted," Haruka naïvely said.

But Mika argued, "It's not like that, Onee-chan. It's times like these that guys are supposed to take certain girls home."

"Eto… But isn't that why Naruto-san's double is taking his cousin home?"

Mika and the maids were astounded by the oldest Nogizaka sibling's sheer naïveté as Naruto explained, "Haruka, if it were another life and Shiina wasn't completely related to me, it would be a whole different ballgame. And I just can't do it to you like that, ya know."

Haruka didn't understand what he meant by that, but decided to be escorted back by the original Naruto on the way to her home.

 **»-Line Break-«**

[Meanwhile, in the original scenario]

Yuuto felt an unusual chill racing down his spine as he was escorting Shiina Amamiya back to her place. He doesn't know what has he gotten himself into with 2 women (the former and Haruka) trying to understand why love can be a battlefield sometimes.

Maybe he should've known better than that...

 **»-Line Break-«**

[The next day]

It's the most spectacular day of the hot summer as the students were cheering at the school pool. There many different heats for the many different relays for both men's and women's meets.

Haruka was doing well in her part, as does Naruto.

Meanwhile, Yukari wears an even skimpier 2-piece bikini set (white bikini bottom that shows part of her behind and a rather immodest top that basically only covered her nipples and not supporting the rest).

"Everyone, do your best," the teacher said as she is soaking up the sun.

Mai, Ryōko, and the other 2nd Year girls were cheering from the sidelines, but Shiina, however, is starting to have this nagging doubt that's been bothering her, so she decided to take a quick trip to the showers. Naruto noticed Shiina leaving the bleachers, sensing her troubles. It may be intruding on one hand, but then again, she could use some moral support.

 **-NUS-**

[In the showers]

Shiina took a soak from the cold water to try to give her some relief and then shut off the valve.

Then she hears a knock and noticed Naruto standing outside.

"Are you nervous, Shiina?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered, "I don't know how I'll do it in the real event, ya know."

"It'll be alright, ya know. All you need to do is to do it like it was practice, only just a little harder. It's just like riding a big bicycle. Once you learned how to do it, it'll be like second nature to you. Believe in yourself, Shiina."

The Amamiya felt glad for her cousin's support.

Then the announcement called out from the loudspeakers, **»Attention, please. Attention. Participants of the 2nd Year Women's Relay Race, please assemble immediately.«**

"Alright, I feel like I can do it now," Shiina said with a sense of confidence, "Thanks, Naruto, I'll be going."

"Good luck to you," Naruto remarked, "And don't forget to do some warm-ups before diving."

 **-NUS-**

Shiina's main event is commencing. She is second behind Mai Asahina, and with Ryōko after her. The swimming coach readies the contenders to start the race at the sound of the whistle… *Pii!* And they're off!

The other students cheered them on as the first group started finishing their lap, as Shiina prepares herself the moment Mai finished touches the wall and the timing couldn't be better as the Asahina did a quick jackknife dive into the water.

Remembering what she learned from last week, she managed to keep her pace and complete the first half, and into the second half, things were running smoothly until suddenly things went SNAFU as Shiina felt a jolting sense of pain in her ankle that prevented her to surface.

"Ouch! My leg!"

The crowd were shocked to see what the situation.

Naruto, "Oh no! Shiina!"

Haruka, "Amamiya-san‽"

The Stooges, "What‽"

Ryōko, "A leg cramp‽"

Mai, "Shiina-san!"

And a panicking Yukari-sensei, "💦Aah~! What'll we do‽💦"

Naruto cursed to himself as he has to bend a few rules as he shunshins to the pool's edge and ran across the water like it was walking on solid glass before diving to rescue his cousin from drowning. As he surfaces, he quickly asked Yukari, "Sensei, which way is the infirmary?"

The Amamiya is under deep distress as she started to feel faint from coughing out the water from her lungs.

Naruto was told by the teacher where the said location is at and managed to jump from the water and carried Shiina away from the pool.

While the mystery about Naruto's abilities were momentarily forgotten, Shiina's safety is now becoming top priority as he and Yukari head towards their destination.

 **-NUS-**

[Later, in the Infirmary]

While Naruto waits outside in the hall, Yukari checked on Shiina's sore ankle and said, "...with that aside, what a shame; even though, you practiced very hard, too."

The teacher is also trained for first aid for such occasions.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes, a little," Shiina answered.

"Really? Then Sensei will go check on things at the pool. Go get changed right away so you won't catch cold."

"Yes, ma'am," Shiina obliged as the teacher leave the room.

Naruto is sitting near the bench, awaiting news of the situation.

"How is Shiina doing, Sensei?" he asked.

"She only got a leg cramp," Yukari answered, "Amamiya-san didn't breathe in any water, so she'll be okay after a little rest. More importantly, it was a bit of a shock, so please help stay with her. Just don't do anything weird, just because the two of you are alone."

"Like I would do that, ya know‽ Naruto blushingly refuted.

 **-NUS-**

Naruto knocked on the door before entering the Infirmary and said, "Pardon the intrusion," and stepped forward until he found Shiina's silhouette behind the sunlit curtains. So he called, "Yo, Shiina."

The Amamiya was disrobing her swimsuit down to her bikini area when she heard Naruto's voice and nearly shrieked, thinking he saw her exposed D-cup breasts. But Naruto exclaimed, "I wasn't looking, ya know!," as he faced away from the curtains.

Thankfully, Shiina recovered from the surprise and said, "Wait a minute, it's okay. I don't mind, since we're family and and all. It's not like it'll hurt me if you...see…" She stopped for a moment and confessed, "It looked like I messed up, even though we practiced that much, especially with you and Nogizaka helping me… In the end, I couldn't even reached my goal. I'm so sorry."

"So what's to apologize?" Naruto questioned, "It wasn't like that you did anything wrong, ya know."

Shiina sticks her head out of the curtains and wondered, "Naruto… But...but…"

But Naruto stated, "Shiina, the fact of the matter is that you tried your best. I understand, ya know. So, please, don't worry about it."

Shiina felt much happier that her cousin cheered her up.

Then all of the sudden, a sound of stampeding footsteps started charging in and it was the 3 Stooges, but Naruto dragged the trio outside and said, "Have you no shame, ya know‽ She's in the middle of dressing in there!" And he lets the other students know to let Shiina have her moment in privacy before letting them talking to her. They tried to protest, but Naruto said, "Absolutely uh-uh."

And after a few minutes, Shiina is wearing some spare clothes as the students entered the room and came to her, with Ryōko apologizing, "We heard from Nogizaka-san that you practiced very hard because you couldn't swim well.

"We'll win the events that were left for you," Ogawa said.

"For you, Amamiya-san," Nagai added.

Shiina felt much better and said, "Thank you, everyone."

And the student group cheered on, while Naruto and Haruka smiled at each other, knowing they've done a good deed.

 **-NUS-**

Naruto and Haruka helped carried Shiina with her sprained ankle into the maids' company car. Haruka then said to the driver, "Nanami-san, I'll leave it up to you to take care of Amamiya-san."

"Leave it to me~" the 3rd-ranked maid obliged, "I'll escort her properly to her home with respect."

"Ya know, really, I'm okay," Shiina modestly said, "You don't have to go so far as to take me home in your family's car."

"Don't be," Haruka explained, "It'll be troubling for us if something like this happens again on your way home."

"So, how about, just between ourselves, go along for today?" Naruto suggested.

"Un, thank you," Shiina replied as she fastened her seatbelt. She wanted to say something to her cousin, but just couldn't make up the words to say.

"Arrivederci," Naruto said and waved goodbye.

And then, Nanami rolled the windows and revved up the engine as the Nogizaka escorting car sped off across the corner.

"Are...are you sure she'll be okay with Nanami-san driving?" the Ayase asked.

"Surely," Haruka replied, "Since it's fast and turns on a dime, it's a great help when you're in a hurry."

"That's what I was afraid of," he remarked with a sweatdrop.

 **-NUS-**

Later, Naruto and Haruka are walking the sidewalks on the way back to the Nogizaka Mansion.

"Well, there's still a few days before the Festival," Naruto commented, "Looks like a lot of things happened, too, right, Haruka?"

"That's right," she replied, "But it was a lot of fun, because I am your girlfriend."

"Same goes for me, too."

"Ano… Naruto-san, about what happened… when you rescued Amamiya-san… that was very cool."

"Really?"

Then suddenly, Haruka felt the sense of jealousy that she never felt before, as if he is falling for somebody else. But Naruto said to her, "Ya know, if you end up getting stuck under water, I'll be here to rescue you. Okay?"

The sweet words touched Haruka's heart as she embraced her lover.

Another FTW _(for the win)_ with the real Innocent Smile.

§

To be continued…==»

»-Line Break-«

 **Omaké**

 _Ryōko and Mai Searching for Some Answers_

The day after the swimming tournament, As the students entered the study room for taking notes on their homework, Ryōko and her friend Mai asked Shiina a few questions, with the former asking, "Shiina-chan, did you know that when Ayase-kun rescued you, he looked like he was standing on top of the water? How did he do that? Did he use some special tools or some sort of magician's trick to haul you out?"

"It's nothing special really, girls," Shiina modestly answered, "He's just a friend that's more family than you think." And she explained why Naruto and she have connections related to the Chakra Islands.

"That's amazing," Mai commented, "You and Naruto seem to be great people. By the way, what do you think about Nogizaka-san?"

The Amamiya replied, "Well, Nogizaka-san is a kind and understanding girl. She's a hard worker, much like I do. She's great at the piano, cooking, sports, and even in the academics. In fact, she, Ayase-kun, and I kept bumping into each other before and during summer vacation." And she told them the details, including the pictures and the video of the event in London on the Y*****e site, including the pictures of Naruto and Gentō getting along on Neutral Ground. They can see the images of a 9-tailed fox and a tiger behind the respective men.

Ryōko and Mai were impressed that Shiina has made it far in the spotlight. They also admitted that after the incident with the showoff - Takashi Ogasawara, they have gotten themselves a bit too overzealous after Haruka getting along with the formerly unpopular student, Naruto Ayase, like they live in completely different worlds.

But when they noticed Takashi and some of their fellow classmates were bullying Naruto with threatening letters, they gotten word from Yukari-sensei that the instigators' parents were notified and were given stiff punishments as their privileges _(cellphones, dating, going places with friends, etc.)_ were temporarily taken away and have to apologize in humble earnesty and not by when they got caught. However, 3 of the bullies (including Takashi) decided to take revenge on Naruto for snitching on them, but they asked for it as both Naruto and Haruka gave the fools what was coming to them - a serious beatdown, causing them and the other witnessing students to be fearful for a week, should they try that foolish stunt again.

To that day, Naruto and Haruka were considered as the Bunny _(Haruka)_ and Fox _(Naruto)_ of Hakujoh Academy - complete opposites, but strangely synergetic. They still haven't considered them as a charming couple… yet.

Shiina was also surprised her newfound friends were surprisingly strong and looked out for each other and the other students.

That was when Shiina, Ryōko, and Mai noticed Naruto and Haruka hanging around in the library, as they are ready for a study session. So, the former group decided to join in with the latter to enjoy the company.

 **»-Line Break-«**

 **Side Story**

 _Naruto's Chronicles in the Chakra Islands Part 7_

 _"Fighting you is a regret having had to do, but if you dare to push me any further, I won't hesitate to make your lives miserable and hold back anymore. I won't chance it a second time."_

 _ **Round 7**_

 **Naruto Ayase**

 **VS**

 **Hinata Hyuga**

Both contenders approached the ring, Hinata walking downstairs, while Naruto gracefully stuck the landing from a high, acrobatic jump.

("Showoff!" Mirin grumbled under her breath.)

Before the match begins, Hinata gave Naruto a warning, "Just so you know, I still don't like you, Nokémono-kun. You are on the wanted list that the Kage have put down. I will come out of top and prove that I can make my dear parents proud and I can make your "Haruka" as my bitch."

Naruto sighed and said, "You do realize that becoming a Chunin is a lot more than just street cred. You'll just have to learn to take more responsibilities. However, there's one thing that I simply cannot tolerate, dattébayo. You're not going to take my friend Haruka like she's a prize to be won. So I will hinder you, if I may."

"Hinder me‽" Hinata exclaimed, "You are a fool, Nokémono, because you'll never _hinder_ my Juken-style and the powers of the Byakugan!"

"Ha!" the Ayase scoffed, "We'll just _see_ about, dattébayo!"

Then Hayate started the match as Naruto positioned himself letting Hinata come at him first the female Hyuga began using her family's ocular ability to enhance her vision and put herself in a stance similar to Ba Gua _(Bāguàzhǎng)_ combined with Chinese Boxing and called itself [Gentle Fist] _(Juken)_ took the offensive. Hinata attacks with her chakra-powered jabs and chops. Naruto (with his Uzumaki battle instinct) defensively avoided the attacks and studied the movements.

He learned that the Hyuga's Juken-style is indeed formidable as his opponent taunted, "The Juken-style knows no equal, Nokémono-kun, for your Tenketsu _(Chakra pressure points)_ are at my mercy."

Naruto did a backdash and warned, "Consider your actions carefully, _princess_ , because you'll regret this decision."

And used 10 of his Shadow Doubles to quickly surround Hinata in a circling formation preparing their [Explosive Dragon Art], but Hinata arrogantly thought that it was simple for her to use skill to land hits as they poofed, not realizing it was a feint.

To the female Hyuga, it was nothing but for sport, but to Naruto, playtime is over as he performed the movements and anticipated the raging fist with a calmer fist _(from his Shadow Doubles reading a loose ninja scroll near the Hyuga District)_ , turning Hinata's power against her, as her left arm was bound against her body.

"What's going on? How dare you use Juken against me!" the Hyuga princess demanded an answer.

"How about not," Naruto replied and he uses a small tear gas bomb.

Hinata (along with others with a super-sensitive nose) couldn't stop crying from the effects of the bomb, blinding her from making her move connect, and then, Naruto simply trip her to the ground with a low sweep, making her fall face first. What he did next was rather humiliating as he unsealed from one of his scrolls what appeared to be a pair of rattan sticks and he removed Hinata's pants and smacked her behind several times like it was a Taiko drum, punishing the spoiled princess repeatedly until she gave up.

 _(Hinata won't be sitting down without a soft pillow for a while.)_

"Shōbuari!" Hayate declared, "Shōsha, Naruto Ayase!"

Before the medics helped carry the sore-seated Hyuga to the Infirmary area, Naruto gave her a firm, yet angry warning, "Be careful how you say about Haruka the next time it happens, you lowlife."

And the arena was cleared out for the next round.

 **-NUS:G-**

To Neji, he felt utterly embarrassed not only to Hinata for her carelessness, but with Naruto playing dirty, mocking the Juken-style, and not being "honorable" in a battle.

But Naruto told the audience, "Have you all forgotten the basic rule of the ninja? If not, then you don't really have what it takes to be a real one, dattébayo." And he shunshins back to near where Blake is.

"That was great, Naruto-sama, spoken like a true warrior," she praised her friend.

"Yes, but never mind the "-sama" part, Blake-san," the Ayase modestly said, "Just plain "Naruto" would do."

The Konoha jonin _(Kakashi, Kurenai, Kushina, and Asuma)_ were absolutely livid that the Kage's _(disowned)_ son is getting too smart and powerful for his own good. They swore to get even with that rogue.

But to Karin, Anko, and Blake, Naruto is getting better at his technique, although giving the spoiled Hyuga princess a whipping in a particular manner wasn't what they anticipated, but it's worth it.

Then Kiba and Neji came to the "Outsider" and the former growled, "You'll pay for what you did to my teammate, Naruto!"

"I have to agree with that mangy mutt," Neji said, "The Hyuga clan will not stand attacking a member of the clan like that and defeating her."

"Well, get in line, boys," Naruto replied, "because one of you is next on the list." And he pointed out the board and it was **Neji Hyuga VS Kiba Inuzuka** for Round 8.

"Like I said, get in line, boys. I got other things on my plate, dattébayo."

 **-NUS:G-**

Kiba said to his opponent that he admitted having a crush on Hinata ever since they were younger and tried to get her attention... without much success.

"Maybe, it's because you hardly ever take a bath or perhaps you have a lacking on manners," Neji surmised, only riling the Inuzuka up. Akamaru _(Kiba's dog partner)_ tries to keep his pet under control, saying in dog talk to calm himself.

And then the battle commences…

 **-NUS:G-**

[Meanwhile, on top of the balcony]

Anko is standing near Naruto and Blake, watching for anything out of the ordinary when Kurenai approached Naruto and argued, "You don't deserve the win, Naruto, because Kushina-sensei told me all about you, and - -"

"If this is what my so-called mother is trying to do to discourage me, you better think again!" Naruto countered with his index finger pointing at her, "You and that woman have no business messing with my affairs, Ninja or no, and she disowned me for the last time. And besides that, is that all you're trying to say? Because you're simply wasting your breath."

Kurenai is frustrated that she isn't getting through with her sensei's oldest son and his stubbornness as Anko said to her friend, "Nai-chan, we've been friends since the academy years, you see? Naruto-kun is my student and a proud young man. Then tell me this: why do you have to sink so low to agree with 'Shina-sen _(Kushina-sensei)_ that he is to be treated like he's caught between a rock and a hard place?"

"But Naruto doesn't deserve to be a soldier, Anko-chan," Kurenai argued incessantly, "His mother is very sorry that he banished her oldest son because her husband believed his sensei _(Jiraiya)_ and the other Sannins' decision about the prophecy and - -"

"To hell with those so-called prophecies, Nai-chan! That prophecy coming from a venerable oldest elder of the Toad Clan who's been smoking too much dope is nothing more than mere heresy after our nation's economy after it fell into a depression for the last 10 years!"

"But Jiraiya-sama believed that Mirin is the one who can unsheath the Zantetsuken and help heal this nation under a future leadership. Those foreigners are onto us after we keep making big blunders on the mainlanders. They'll surely ruin our ninja way of life!"

"And I'm saying that the current way of life is killing us, Nai-chan. Sooner or later, Naruto-kun will have to return to the mainland where he's content over there."

"Uh, ladies?" Naruto interrupted, "This round is over, dattébayo."

And he's right, Neji defeated Kiba and Akamaru as the medics put the beaten up duo on separate stretchers. They won't be active for at least a week after their Tenketsu were blocked.

Kurenai felt embarrassed that two of her students were at their losses.

 **-NUS:G-**

Round 9 was Gaara Torisuna VS Yoroi.

Yoroi tried to use his ability to siphon energy from his target like a vampire feasting on blood, but Gaara got the upper hand by using the compacted sand from his sand gourd and created a field of grit. And then just when Yoroi was about to get in close, all of the sudden, he got caught in a sand tomb, preventing him from moving.

Gaara sadistically said to Yoroi, "Killing you is beneath me to do so. It'll break dear Mother's heart that way. So I decided to take the lesser of two evils."

And he manipulated the sand to gather and break one of Yoroi's wrists and one of his legs.

Yoroi went unconscious from the pain of his broken limbs.

 **-NUS:G-**

After the medics carried Yoroi away (to a special holding cell requested by Ibiki), Round 10 is underway.

 **Mirin Uzumaki-Namikaze**

 **VS**

 **Sai**

The "wonder girl" and the "pale artist" entered the arena as the latter said, "Let's make this a good battle, Ugly."

Mirin is a ready...to lose her temper because of Sai's poor choices for nicknames as Hayate began the battle.

Mirin uses her Chakra chains that she learned from her mother to try and bind her opponent, but Sai is smarter than that, as he used his [Super Beast Scroll Art] to summon pre-drawn 2D drawings to life, such as a colony of rats to try to get inside her clothing. She smashed the rats with whatever means, however, she finds herself covered in Chakra-powered ink, as Sai performed a sealing art to prevent Mirin from moving. The pale artist moved closer and said with a fake smile, "Your brother is a much better fighter than you. He would have saw this coming with what he prepared. And you are just too hot-headed for your own good, ugly."

Meanwhile, Kushina, standing in the different part of the balcony, was worried that her oldest daughter is losing the match and the right to wield the prized weapon, thinking it's the redemption that will save the nation from despair. It seems that a new regiment is needed to get Mirin more than just get herself out of a jam.

Mirin yelled at Sai, "How many times do I have to get through to you, 'ttemayo! I am NOT ugly! I am an elite, a daughter of the Kage, and a citizen of the Chakra Islands! You are just simply in the way, for I have a bigger goal in mind!" And she managed to break free of the ink bindings and prepare her Chakra chains to subdue her opponent. But what Sai did utterly disappointed her as he says, "Proctor, I give up."

And Hayate declared Mirin as the winner.

The wonder girl wanted to continue fighting, but Kushina and (surprisingly) Naruto forbade her so.

"I'll have you yet, _dear brother!_ " the older twin swore.

 **-NUS:G-**

Round 11:

 **Suigetsu Hozuki**

 **VS**

 **Rimu Ten-Ten**

The match was difficult to say in the least, of not one-sided. Ten-Ten tried to use what weapons in her scroll to take down her watery opponent, but none in her arsenal have the capability to damage her opponent. And Suigetsu, with his enhanced muscles and water morphological powers, nabbed one of Ten-Ten's thrown weapons - a Zweihander blade - and smacked her with the flat side of the weapon, sending her flying to the wall, knocking her out unconsciously. He kept the weapon as his trophy and his choice weapon.

 **-NUS:G-**

Round 12:

 **Rock Lee**

 **VS**

 **Choji Akimichi**

The match between two hard-hitting fighters went underway and Choji uses his [Expansion Art] to make his torso expand like a balloon and Lee's punches didn't ordinarily work, but then he remembered Gai's fighting technique against foes who have more fat than muscle and successfully used multiple kicks to Choji's abdomen followed by a soft punch to decide the outcome. The Akimichi was incapacitated and returned to his normal size.

 **-NUS:G-**

Mitsuki was the lone combatant left, so she was given a pass.

 **-NUS:G-**

Then came the drawing lots to see who will fight who in the main event of the stadium.

The 12 candidates, were given the numbers to which bracket they're in. The matches are scheduled to be as a 1-on-1 brawl:

1 - Satsuki

2 - Naruto

3 - Mitsuki

4 - Kankuro

5 - Gaara

6 - Neji

7 - Lee

8 - Shino

9 - Temari

10 - Shikamaru

11 - Mirin

12 - Suigetsu

Naruto knows that in the early part of the first bracket is going to be against his twin sister likely in the finals. As much as he hates pitting family against family, he need to make it possible to make back home soon to his real family and to check on Haruka.

And so, he, Anko, and Blake decided to think things over in the tower before returning back to the apartment.

Naruto also mentioned to Anko that Yamatamaru is on the loose and his revenge is set against Konoha, as he presented the tanned skin and the meat of the Snake Clan's Giant Python. He also brought over the giant tanned bear skin of Mor'du to be processed. The Mitarashi agreed as she decided to go talk to the Kage and the Nation Jonin council to find Yamatamaru and settle matters as peaceful as possible.

 **-NUS:G-**

Meanwhile, in the holding cells, Sakura and Ino were interviewed by their respective teachers. They are supposed to be kunoichi of their fellow ninja - not rabid, pitiful disgraces for fanatics.

"But Kakashi-sensei/Asuma-sensei, we love Sasuke-kun!" both girls coincidentally said at the same time, "It's that fault of that Nokémono who was responsible for letting Sasuke-kun to lose at the exams!"

That is all that the Jonin can stand, and they can't take this kind of bullcrap anymore. And they decided to request Minato and their respective parents to send them to nursing school (runned by Shizune) to make them behave themselves as proper people.

"No!" the girls whined as they were dragged away by their shirt collars.

 **-NUS:G-**

[At the Hyuga compound]

Hiashi, the current head of the clan, and his wife, are very upset; not for much at Naruto for humiliated the clan and showing off his version of the Juken-style, but the real problem is with their eldest daughter _(who is currently sitting on a pillow and wearing a sling on her sore left arm)_ and her arrogance.

"Daughter, have you lost your mind or something? Did I hear you say that you wanted a girl from the mainland as you called her‽"

"What's it to you, dear father?" Hinata haughtily answered, "That Nokémono mentioned that particular wench as if they're lovey-dovey or something."

Hinata pulled a picture from a magazine that features Haruka that she thinks is that person, but when her parents' faces suddenly turned pale as their pearly eyes and her mother scolded, "Hinata, do you realize who that girl is‽ That is Haruka Nogizaka, the eldest daughter of the prestigious Nogizaka family in the mainland! And you dare to call that brilliant young girl your bitch‽"

"But...d-d-dear Mother… d-d-dear father…" Hinata tried to explain as fear started to get to her in a bad way.

"Don't you "d-d-dear father" me, young lady," Hiashi snarled like a bulldog, "You were about to cost ourselves from an upcoming business deal with her father, Gentō-san, to help make ends meet, and now, you've plotted such a dreadful thought. I'm going to have to teach you a lesson, as well as, you apologize to the Nogizaka family for your stupid behavior!"

"No!" Hinata whined loudly as was dragged to her bedroom for her grounding.

Hanabi couldn't help but feel sorry for her older sister, but Hinata asked for it for picking on the wrong girl. Maybe she ought to ask Naruto for some advice.

 **-NUS:G-**

[Meanwhile, at an undisclosed location]

Danzo and the elder council are busy plotting a way to get rid of Naruto and the Uzumaki clan. That's when they have an idea that they'll keep their hands clean while making sure that Mirin is kept in the dark as their puppet.

 **-NUS:G-**

"I'm saying that the old decrepits are up to something. They're planning use Mirin as an unwitting participant for their scheme."

…

"They have the ROOT squad to back up their planning and to cause unfortunate casualties, and I can't stand for that. And there's the trouble with Yamatamaru and the escapee Kabuto."

…

"As much as I hate unnecessary killing, we have to do what must be done to stop any unwanted bloodshed."

…

…

"If that's the way you want it, but don't blame me for any foul-ups happening that wasn't in my part."

…

"Thanks. Tell the your men to prepare themselves and give those idiots the works!"

…

"Okay. Sayonara, Nohara-san."

 ***Hang up***

To be continued...

 **»-Line Break-«**

 **A/N** **:** TBA

 **»-Line Break-«**

 **Main Story:** I decided to move the Episode 5 to a later scenario for this chapter. It's pretty much the canon route, only with the few extra steps to make it better. Shiina is Naruto's distant cousin (once removed by his former parents and their so-called law). Naruto and Haruka are also pretty good athletes, especially in swimming. Normally, it was supposed to be a trial set by the maids _(per se)_ to test Naruto's fidelity with their mistress, but when the other girl is a family member or a close friend, the playing field changes significantly, compared to the original scenario.

 **Side Story:** A recap of the matches in the Preliminary Round of the Chunin Exams.

Satsuki **(Winner)** VS Karin

Fujiko VS Shino **(Winner)**

Kankuro **(Winner)** VS Misumi

Sakura VS Ino - **No Side**

Temari **(Winner)** VS Hibiki

Shikamaru **(Winner)** VS Jūgo

Naruto **(Winner)** VS Hinata

Neji **(Winner)** VS Kiba

Mirin **(Winner)** VS Sai

Gaara **(Winner)** VS Yoroi

Ten-Ten VS Suigetsu **(Winner)**

Lee **(Winner)** VS Choji

Mitsuki **(BYE)**

After giving some consideration, I put a little bit of the Senran Kagura with the scene with one of the combatants being sent over the horizon, butt naked, and landed to the drumming station and one of the Taiko drummers paddle **[defeated combatant's]** bare behind. Don't ask how the idea occurred to me, you wouldn't like it.

Also, I put a little randomness into which fighter pits who, albeit most of them were condensed. Toss a few other referential ideas, and there you have it.

Also to recap on the Chunin Exam, there were a few ninja teams from Susuki (Silver Grass Town), Iwashi (Rock City), Kumoyama (Mountain of Clouds), Otomura (Sound Village), Takiyama (Waterfall Mountain), and even Moya (Haze Town) all suffered a bad hand in poor planning and off-timing. The Murasame (Rain Village) nin (2 teams were unfortunate victims - one defeated by the Sabakutoshi siblings and the other killed like prey by the Forest's giant centipede.

Another thing, Mizushi (Water Country and its surrounding cities) were unable to participate, due to a shortage of fellow members, after the governess Mei Terumi was recently elected. But in the next exam, there's a possibility.

 **»-Line Break-«**

And the heat will be on!

-blukmage19


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 _...Onii~chan_ 🌟

 _What Am I Going to Do with You, Mika-chan?_

§

[At an All-girls' school's villa, near a pond]

It was a study session for Mika and some of her classmates from the All-girls' Junior High Academy.

The younger Nogizaka happens to be the Student Council "President" of her Alma Mater for 2 years running.

But getting back to the subject, Mika and her 3 of her classmates _(which we'll dub them:_ _"Ran"_ _,_ _"Inju"_ _, and_ _"Mimi"_ _)_ are seated in their seats, having a tea party (of sorts). As Mika was sipping her tea, Inju nervously asked, "Um… Nogizaka-san, you do understand a lot about boys, right?"

Mika nearly choked from her tea, as she regained her composure and answered with a sweatdrop, "Huh? Well...not really. Maybe just a little…"

"Please don't be so modest," Mimi said, "You gave me some good advice before."

"You're known about it throughout the class, too," Inju commented.

"There's almost nothing you don't know," Ran praised her Student Council President.

"Y-You might say that, oh-ho-ho…" Mika chortled and bragged with a sweatdrop and the girls joined in on the laughter.

However, Inju has something to say that got their attention, "Actually, Nogizaka-san, I've been invited on a date by a boy that I've known for a while."

"D-date‽" Mika was shocked by the confession.

"Yes. However, this is the first time he asked me out. That's why… umm… Nogizaka-san, how does a date happen?"

"I'm also interested!" Mimi boldly declared, as does Ran, "Can you educate us for future purposes?"

"Please tell us, Nogizaka-san!" Inju begged.

This request sort of put Mika in a tight position, so she came up with a quick idea, "All right, then. I'll give you all some special education for today!"

"Thank you very much," the 3 classmates said as they were prepared for a lesson.

 **-NUS-**

Mika begins her lesson about Dating 101 (with notes from Naruto and his parents, and from her parents), "First, you should talk to your beau and have something to drink with him, like for instance, having tea at a café. Something like that would be a good idea. Sitting on your seats, face-to-face, while staring into each other's eyes, after speaking sweet words to pass through the conversation, you forget about your sense of time."

"Staring to each other's eyes…" Ran was impressed by the romanticism.

"That's so bold!" Mimi was amazed.

And Mika makes a hugging expression, "After that, you can go on a stroll together. Of course, he would gently take your hand…" She is using Ran as a volunteer for the demonstration. _(No yuri-ism, mind you. Just some reverse Shakespearean-esque acting.)_

"H-hold my hand?" Inju interjected.

"No...no way…" Mimi acted like she couldn't take the hot stuff anymore, hence the serious blushing.

"No, no," Mika explained, "There's more to it than that, it only happens when you have a boyfriend and are starting to become lovers." And Mika resumed the lesson, "Afterwards, going to an outing, like the movie theater, would be great. Being together...in a quiet place…" And she took Ran into a position as if being held by a lover. "The mood between the two of you would reach into a climax at the same moment of the event. Also, in this season, at the end of the date, both of you can go to the Great Festival and watch the fireworks display in the twilight hours. After walking through the shops, you would enjoy the beautiful fireworks in the night sky with him. And finally, you and you beau would share your first kiss right there on the lips…"

Unfortunately, the 3 classmates couldn't take the "agonizing" lesson anymore.

"No more, please!"

"We learned enough already!"

"Really now? Ohh-ho-ho-ho!" Mika looked like she made her point across… eh, more or less. After Ran sat next to her classmates, Mika did confess that knew about the ideas from a few little "birdies" about how her parents became lovers at a very different circumstances and a certain couple getting closer together at a special event (with her maids assisting her).

And after that's been said and done, Mika dismissed the session, as Ran, Mimi, and Inju learned (the hard way) about Dating 101.

 **-NUS-**

[Later, at the Nogizakas' personal limo]

Nanami is escorting her young mistress back to the Mansion Residence. Mika says while reclining in her seat, "Even though what I said is true, I never have been on an actual date myself."

"Oh my, oh my," Nanami replied, "That's because, Mika-sama, there aren't many suitors that you approve of~"

"It's more like you're saying that I don't have a chance to meet any. My school is an All-girls' school filled with privileged with rich girls. The only men I hang around are dear father and Onii-san _(Naruto)_. ***sigh…*** How I wish I could go to a co-ed school like my Onee-chan and Onii-san…"

"That's true. After what happened at the NatsuComi and the swim meet, Haruka-sama is falling in love with Naruto-sama more deeply than ever."

That's when Mika started to have another of her wonderful, awful ideas. "Aren't they being recognized by our parents as a couple on a date today?"

"No, Naruto-sama came by to visit," the 3rd ranked maid answered, "He's in Haruka-sama's room right now~"

This is strange to Mika, "Then that means…"

"Yes~, they're alone together," Nanami replied with the same suspicions.

"I see… I see…" Mika agreed to what they thought it was going to be, as the 2 women began chuckling in a naughty manner…

 **-NUS-**

[At the Nogizaka Mansion Residence]

Gentō is starting to become impatient to what Naruto and Haruka are doing inside the bedroom.

"I can't wait any longer!" he growled as he was about to open the door, but Akiho, his devoted wife, said, "Honey, you mustn't interfere. Didn't you say that you would believe in them and not mettle in their affairs?" And she is sipping her teacup.

"Yes, dear," Gentō reluctantly agreed, "But… leaving teenagers alone together is just not right! It's too impure!"

"Oh my, then do you mean that our daughter is doing something "impure" behind our backs?"

"No... that's not what I meant…"

[Meanwhile, at the hall, near the other side of Haruka's room]

Nanami and Mika are coming across the hall, feeling rather concerned.

"It's not like we should intrude in their business, right," the younger Nogizaka questioned, "It's only natural for the younger sister to worry about her older sister."

"As one of the many maids of the Nogizaka family, it's also natural for us to worry~."

And that's when they began to spy at the door, using some nearby empty cups to overhear the conversation inside the spacious bedroom.

"Haruka, can… can I?"

"But it's so...embarrassing… It became like this..."

"May I have a closer look?"

"No…that's…"

"What about mine?"

"...it's so...big…"

"You, too, ya know? Ah, it's so hot in here…"

"Oh...stop…"

The suspense was to much for Mika and Nanami to take anymore, so they entered the door, with the former exclaiming, "No! Don't do it! No matter how lovey-dovey you both are, it's much too soon to be doing that!"

"Likewise!" the 3rd ranked maid agreed, but what the snoopers came across...just wasn't what they're expecting. Naruto and Haruka are in their cooking attire, holding turners.

"Mika? Nanami-san?" Haruka wondered.

"Just what is the meaning of this, you two?" Naruto questioned.

"Onii-san, that's what I was going to ask you…" Mika said.

"We're just making crêpes, don't ya know," Naruto explained.

And Haruka explained, "It's nearly time for tea. The truth is that I burnt mine, so I'm a bit embarrassed…"

"This is nothing to be ashamed about, Haruka. It's my first time making crêpes, so I ended up making mine a bit too big."

"Crêpes… really?" Nanami sheepishly exclaimed.

"Oh...you two are causing such misunderstandings again," Mika exasperatingly declared.

Haruka didn't understand what just happened and Naruto asked, "Oh? You were expecting us to do something [romantic] behind closed doors, weren't you?"

"Let's not discuss this!" Mika tries to change the subject.

Naruto looked at Haruka and shrugged, "Another of "those" misunderstandings, ya know?"

Haruka took a plate of prepared crêpes filled with fruits and cream and said, "It's all done! How about we have some together?"

"I thought you would be saying that," Hazuki said from behind the surprised Nanami and Mika, while holding the tea tray, "So I prepared enough tea for everyone."

*koku koku* Alis nodded as she helped haul the cart full of the prepared crêpes to the tea tables.

"As expected from Hazuki-san and Alis-chan," Haruka happily said, "So, let's eat together."

 **-NUS-**

And everybody present were enjoying the delicious fruit crêpes, filled with homemade whipping cream. (To which, Gentō liked them so well.)

Haruka told Naruto about what happened with her family, "My dear father was doing business at the Pentagon until yesterday. And last month, he went to a place called the Mossad."

"So what does your dad really do?" Naruto curiously asked.

 **-NUS-**

[Inside Haruka's room]

"...then, Aki-chan accidentally dropped the curry udon!" Haruka told the story in her own way.

She, Naruto, and Alis are seated on the chairs, while Nanami, an unimpressed Mika, and Hazuki are sitting on the sofa.

"Oh? So what happens next?" Naruto asked.

"But at the time, a large number of Onions were attacking," Haruka explained.

"But what happened to the seaweed tofu?"

"Well, about that…"

[An hour and 20 minutes later]

Haruka and Naruto chatted to the maids and Mika of the many things they visited, such as they have went to the theaters recently to watch the American foreign movie D********* P****** (subbed version), a recent trip to Akihabara and GAMERS, and do a few errands for their homework.

Naruto also mentioned that his other family in the Chakra Islands had recently stopped by to see what life is like in the suburbs and cities in the Mainland on a diplomatic project. Wakame is in currently in the 3rd Grade Elementary and is a smart as a whip and sharp as a pencil when it came to her academics and her athleticism, Nori is at 6th Grade Elementary and she likes to become better than her mother's progress and her kunoichi tactics, Menma _(1st Year Junior High)_ and Mirin _(who didn't enter Senior High as she is working in her family's new enterprise)_ still wouldn't speak to him after what he _(in their minds)_ had done to them and the island nation. It's a shame that he's still being called the "black sheep" in the family, he says.

Naruto then asks Haruka, "You're done with your homework?"

"Yes, I'm nearly done," she answered, "What about you, Naruto-san?"

"I have to double-check them, but I'm close to being finished too, ya know. I don't want to miss tomorrow's event."

Mika, half-asleep from boredom, couldn't help but yawn at the conversation. Of course, Naruto and Haruka couldn't help but chuckle at the hilarity.

 **-NUS-**

[In Mika's bedroom]

Later, at nightfall, some time after Naruto returned home, Mika (dressed in her "sexy" négligée and panties) asked her attending maid, "Hey, Nanami-san, what do you think after seeing Onii-san and Onee-chan today?"

"Let's see..." Nanami replied, "I think they're in love-love and are very friendly towards each other."

"Naïve!" the younger Nogizaka objective pointed out, "You're much too naïve! You're as naïve as sweet condensed milk!" She calmed down a bit and stated, "My big sister overcame the hurdle created by her own special interests, and then that incident occurred. She cleared that too. But is there something that I'm missing as to watch the progress in their relationship‽"

Nanami is trying to understand the gist of it.

"Chatting while making crêpes, something's not right here! This could be a grave situation! With my sister's personality, it couldn't be helped that she is taking the initiative or not. So, the real problem is Onii-san. My sister is cute, and all situations are cleared, but why do they appear to be chatting? Could it be that something that needs to be done?"

"What you do you mean, Mika-sama?" Nanami asked.

The younger sister suddenly came up with another of her awful ideas, "We need to tell Onii-san what lovers really do. If it all goes well, all according to plan, the two of them would become even closer. What's left then, would be a sweet indian summer memory."

"Kyaah! Mika-sama, you're so daring~!" Nanami squealed as she exclaimed of her mistress' crazy ideas.

"And so, let's take action now!"

 **-NUS-**

[The Ayase Residence]

* **brrr brrr** *, the cellphone rang in Naruto's bedroom as he was preparing to hit the sack.

"Yes, moshi-moshi?" he answered.

»Oh… Naruto-san? This is Haruka.«

Naruto isn't buying the act as the voice sounded lacked a certain quality. "Mika-chan, knock it off. You know you can't match Haruka's personality."

»Ah, you figured it out? As expected from lovers.«

"Ha ha… _Very_ funny… What are you up to, ya know?"

»Yeah, well, there's something that I'd like to talk about. Are you free this Sunday?«

"I think I have plenty of time to kill, but what is it?"

»It's something very important.«

Nanami is making various noises to simulate a cacophony of jungle noises, both the forested and the city varieties.

»Can you hear it? Everything's a mess in here, so you _have_ to come! Come by the train station at 10:00 on Sunday. Bye!«

To Nanami and Mika, they got Naruto with the bait. Victory!

But to Naruto, something's got to give. Mika is up to whatever it is she's planning, so he decided to call Haruka's number on her cellphone and told her the news that he's going to be a bit occupied with her sister before the upcoming fireworks festival tomorrow night. He decided to play along for the "invitation", but promised to let Haruka have her fun for the weekend.

And Haruka gave him a reassuring smile from her latest selfie, telling him that she'll be alright.

 **-NUS-**

[The following day, at the train station]

Mika expected Naruto to arrive at the 10:00 hour. "Surely that Onii-san's not trying to surprise me by pretending to be late," she asked herself.

"Nyeh-heh-heh, could be," Naruto appeared with a mocking and menacing cackle.

Yep, Mika was surprised as if her heart popped out of her mouth. Then she calmed herself and chided, "Onii-san, you're late! It's not good to make a girl wait! What would my big sister say, if she was in my position?"

"Actually, Mika-chan, I arrived about 15 minutes before you came along, ya know," Naruto explained, "And can you tell me what's with that racket last night?"

That was Mika noticed that Naruto is wearing a white, long-sleeve, polo shirt, blue jeans, and carrying a messenger bag. "And what's with those clothes? Do you basically wear them normally?"

"Not really," he replied, "I don't regularly wear formal clothing, but today, I think this just the occasion."

"That's good, because whenever you go out on a date, you wear something nice. Do it more often next time."

"And you don't mean…?"

"That's right, today is a date between Onii-san and me." Mika made a cute wink of her eye.

{What am I going to do with you, Mika-chan?💧} Naruto sweatdropped as he escorted his "date" to the first place on her list.

 **-NUS-**

[At a corner café - Nap Rabbit]

"Mika-chan, would you care to explain why should I have to learn about dating?" Naruto demanded while waiting for him and the "date" to be served and shared the café special - a rather small, but still a towering dessert sundae in a bowl full of peeled bananas, ice cream cake, candied orange slices, frozen chocolate pieces, and topped with a whipped mousse, decorated with pirouette wafer straws - a dessert normally fit for at least 4 people. _(It was the café's challenge for people who dare to taste the dessert without wasting it. The winners who conquer the challenge would get a discount on any product for a year, with the main dessert already paid off, excluding the down payment for trying. Otherwise, the losers will have to pay the full bill.)_

"It's exactly like this, Onii-san," Mika replied, "looking at you two of you makes me lose my patience. Onee-chan is _super_ naïve!"

"That's what makes Haruka Haruka, Mika-chan," Naruto said as he waits for the order to arrive. "I'm sure that she'll pick up on things in life soon enough."

And then the waiter brought out the "Sundae Sunday Special" dish to his customers and said to enjoy the dessert.

And they bless the meal before eating it.

And they ate, and ate, and ate the sundae, Mika pointed the details, "What I'm saying is that I thought I had to get you to get the first move. *munch* *munch*"

"*munch* *gulp* Why don't you mind your business, Mika-chan?" Naruto chastised while licking his spoon, "You should be practicing what you preach when you have an actual date of your own, ya know. *munch* *munch*"

"What do you mean by that? *munch* I'm just trying to help the two of you. *munch* And besides that, are you satisfied with the way things are now, Onii-san?"

"Well, we were kinda busy with our schoolwork lately. *munch* And we're in the middle of planning our upcoming annual cultural festival in our school soon, ya know. *munch* What more do you want?"

Mika appeared to be in a corner. "On such rare outings, I've been hearing that all you do is chat about your other family and fail to create a nice mood, then you simply said, "Sayonara," after the day ends. Is that kind of relationship alright with you‽"

"Well… *munch* *munch*"

"It's my big sister that's what the problem is. *munch* *munch* You wait for her to do something! If you're a guy, then you should be doing whatever you can, and whenever. *munch* That's why I'm here on this date to teach you the meaning behind love. *munch* *munch*

"*munch* *munch* The meaning of love, you say…?"

Naruto could stand a few pointers himself as Mika explained, "For example, when you enter a café, with a good atmosphere like this, don't be talking things like animé or homework, but just look at each other's eyes…"

But suddenly, Mika looked at Naruto as he looked at her with and appears to be ready to grab her hand, however…

"Mika-chan, your side of the dessert's falling, ya know!" And he managed to catch the dessert, but part of the mousse spilled over and landed on Mika.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm okay," Mika replied and licked off the mousse, "If you protect somebody like that, even someone as slow as my sister would be great."

"Really?" Naruto mused as he wiped off the mess off his arm.

However, Mika noticed that he finished the rest of the dessert sooner without leaving much left. He explained that he had a quick breakfast beforehand just around the same time Ruko and Yukari left for work. He just wanted to have a good excuse to burn off the calories after finishing his treat.

 **-NUS-**

[Later, across a street]

Mika also finished her part dessert and both patrons earned themselves a discount card for the said location.

They decided to take a stroll on an avenue, when Mika noticed a minor mistake as Naruto is casually walking beside her, "Onii-san, you're missing the point!"

"And why is that?" he wondered.

"In times like these, you should be holding hands with your date." And she extended her hand.

"Fine, I'll play along," Naruto reluctantly said as he held hands with her, "But I still don't like it if Haruka knew better."

"Right," she said while rolling her eyes, "Anyway, when you're with my sister, you should be the one holding her hand."

Naruto stopped for a minute and said, "Mika-chan, you might want to watch your step in this sidewalk. It trips up those wearing high heel stilettos."

"Oh, thank you, Onii-san," Mika said as she re-positioned her footing, "Well, come on, we have to watch the matinée."

And it was a historical dramatic film that is said to have good reviews.

But to Naruto, he wishes to find a way to burn off that energy from that sundae. That's when he has an idea.

 **-Naruto's Secret-**

[At the movie theater]

Mika and Naruto (who's actually a double) is watching a film in the back row, central section. It has everything for the viewers - a reclining chair with buttons for adjustments, a USB port for recharging devices, and a cupholder for drinks.

 _(The original is busy at the arcade next door, playing a dancing arcade game_ (one of his favorite sports) _, not just to make a high score, but to keep himself in shape, after 3 sessions. He used some of the wipes in his pack to clean the sweat off his body in the restroom.)_

And just in time, too, because the movie is about to begin, after a few previews and advertisements. Naruto's double poofed after he and the original swapped places.

It was a film about a princess and a nobleman in ancient times of old Japan. And Naruto asked Mika if he's doing something right.

And she answered, "All you have to do is to stay close to your girlfriend and let her lean on you. Even while watching a movie, you have to tell her that your heart is with her."

"I'll keep that in mind, ya know. Just hope that your beau can do the same for you," Naruto noticed Mika lying on his arm. "And you fell asleep on me, too, ya know…"

As the movie went on, Naruto wiped the dust from his eyes, Mika is still sound asleep on his "sleeping" left arm.

"Like I said, why don't you practice what preach, ya know?" he quietly and rhetorically asked.

And Mika is squirming and saying things in her snoozing, "Stop… stop it… That's my… No! You're so naughty… I'm embarrassed… mmm...

And sure enough, Naruto got some unwanted attention as the audience saw him with a younger girl. So the Ayase sat his leg over the other and casually asked, "Is something the matter, people?"

 **-NUS-**

After the movie was over, Naruto complained, "Mika-chan, ya know!..."

"Oh, I'm just showing you an example, so you won't do something like that," the younger Nogizaka sweatdropped with an excuse.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure… Say, Mika-chan isn't it almost time for the festival tonight?"

"That's right, and I've called my sister to come, too. She said that she'll come after her formal dance practice. I'll make it so that the both of you can be alone together. 🎶Better use that chance wisely!🎶"

"If that's the way you wanted, then I'll be determined to do my best, ya know."

And as they were leaving, Naruto held hands with Mika and said to her, "Sunday's very crowded this time of season, ya know. I just don't want you to get lost in here."

Mika couldn't help but wonder if Naruto is really looking out for her well being. She wonders if that is what it's like to be in her older sister's position.

Along the way, to the next destination, they bumped into Shiina, who is wearing her golden-yellow yukata with blue morning glory patterns.

"Shiina, what a pleasant surprise, ya know," Naruto said.

"Naruto, is that you?" the Amamiya replied, "And isn't that Nogizaka-san's kid sister?" She moved closer and gave her cousin a bit of a nudge. "Don't tell you're dating with her, are ya? Ya know you still have me..."

"Baka, it's not like that," Naruto denied, "Don't say something that'll cause such misunderstandings, and ya know I can only be a brother to you." He calmed down and explained to Shiina that he and Mika are on a few errands. But then he noticed his cousin wearing her yukata and asked if it's for the festival.

"Un," she answered, "it's to see the riverside fireworks display with Mai and the others, ya know."

"What a coincidence, ya know, we're planning to go there tonight. I'm sure that you won't be forgotten and I'm gonna help with it..." And he sees Mika becoming very impatient and said to her, "Ah, look at the time, We'll catch you at the festival later, Shiina. Gotta get dressed for the occasion, ya know."

And Shiina said goodbye to her cousin and his friend and went on her way, while he and Mika went ahead to the kimono shoppe to choose what choices to wear.

 **-NUS-**

[At the Kimono Shoppe]

Mika was grumbling to herself at her "boyfriend's" lady-killer personality while she is undressing herself and fitting to a new yukata, "Hmm-mou… he had me by his side and is chatting happily with that distant cousin of his‽ Well, I am in a different grade and school from them, but this time, I'm together with Onii-san… Then, why am I getting mad at him?"

She wore a midnight-blue yukata with a sunflower pattern and a lavender obi around her waist. And she paid the bill.

And as she exited the store, Mika sees Naruto wearing an orange kimono with black trimmings, and a blackish belt around his waist. (He, too, paid the bill.)

"So, how do I look?" he asked.

"Your kimono fits really nicely, Onii-san," Mika replied, "It's great, too."

"And your yukata looks great on you, too, Mika-chan. I guess you do have a thing for sunflowers."

"Why, thank you. At least your score is still good. But when you see my big sister, remember to say it to her immediately, understand?"

"Right, right, right…"

And Naruto and Mika opted to head towards the festival.

 **-NUS-**

[At the twilight of the festival]

Naruto and Mika are having a beautiful time as "brother and sister", visiting the booths, winning prizes, sampling foods, but unfortunately, things are what they're supposed to be for Naruto without Haruka around to enjoy them.

And by the time the fireworks display is about to begin, Naruto noticed that Mika still on the petite side as to watch the explosions, so he gives her a piggyback ride (for he's a strong and tall person himself), to which the younger Nogizaka obliged. And so both people managed to watch the awesome display without wasting a chance of not seeing it.

"Things will go easier with my sister like this," she said.

"Maybe for some guy and his kid sister, perhaps," Naruto remarked even though the sound of the explosion muffled some of his speaking, "Anyway, I'm sorry about all this."

Mika suddenly got her attention and asked why is he doing it.

"You've taught me so much, but it just doesn't seem right for us. Although I'm a fast learner, we seem to be giving ourselves a bit of trouble if Haruka knew better, and I would be breaking her heart doing her wrong that way."

"That's not true," Mika replied, "It was something questionable that I suggested in the first place. Fortunately, I have a lot of fun today for our first date. A lot has happened, but you are a such a gentleman."

"I guess that it was fun, too."

" **?"**

"It was fun being with you. For that, I thank you for inviting me, ya know."

It was a joyful moment for Naruto and Mika to come to the festival. But something is missing.

"Naruto-san!"

Soon enough, Haruka (in her own blue and white splash patterned yukata and purple sash) and the maids (still in uniform) arrived to meet with her sister as she was carried by her beau.

"Haruka, you're just in time," Naruto said, "And you look simply ravishing tonight."

"Thank you, Naruto-san. This is my favorite one. And I'm sorry that I had my little sister being a burden to you. Has the fireworks display ended yet?"

"Not quite, but it will come soon enough."

Mika is glad that her older brother-figure is catching on with her lessons. At first, she wanted her date to let her down, but Naruto said, "And let you miss out on the fireworks? I don't think so. Besides, I don't mind having the both of you and the maids coming here to watch the display.

(Alis also climbed on top of Naruto's shoulders and look at the display; thankfully, Naruto's inner strength didn't let either girls drop.)

Anyhow, it is a wonderful night outside with friends and family.

§

To be continued…==»

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 **Side Story**

 _Naruto's Chronicles in the Chakra Islands Part 8_

 _"I've been offered a dozen good ways to myself killed since I came to this miserable nation. Now I'm gonna be the one making a few offers for you."_

 **-NUS:G-**

Naruto woke up in a place that is not in his own home. No, he found himself in a jail cell, one of many inside a prison known as Blood Prison in Susuki. He was attached with a seal that prevents him from supposedly using chakra based powers.

How did this happen?

 **-NUS:G-**

[A few days earlier, at the Council Hall]

The elders and most of the councilmen of the Ninja and Civilian Houses demanded the Kage, Minato, to arrest his disowned son, Naruto for his alleged crimes, after for months denied them of his secrets and the confessions of the assaults, including the attack on Hinata during her tournament battle with him.

 _(While Hiashi is busy punishing his oldest daughter, he still doesn't like Naruto much, even though he has connections with the Nogizaka family, so he decided to take the lesser of two evils by suggesting Minato set up a "kangaroo" trial that Naruto is already been charged guilty of the said crimes.)_

And then, Danzo suggested that Naruto is to be held in the Blood Prison for his crimes to make him surrender his secrets (mostly all for himself for selfish motives). There is about a month before the main event, so there will be less competition for somebody to have that miraculous sword for his to rightfully wield it and to rule the Island Nation with a hard nose, an iron fist, and an iron…anything.

Kushina know that this is going to be a bad idea, because she still regret giving Naruto away to the mainlanders and sending him to the worst prison in the nation would likely kill him.

Minato, however, still believes that Naruto should be under duress to make him get "scared straight" in order to make him understand the meaning of family, his way.

So, the Kage decided to send his ANBU to find Naruto and capture him - alive and intact.

 **-NUS:G-**

Naruto is in his apartment, preparing for the month-long journey to his training for the tournament. He was supposed to be visited by Yakumo for a session for her art project.

 _(Yakumo Kurama, thanked Naruto for helping her become a better person and artist_ , _has still a long way to go into perfecting her iryojutsu to match Shizune's quality, but she's put a whole lot of effort into her own body and spirit to help the people in need.)_

As she was painting a portrait of the township of Konoha getting engulfed in flames by a strange dream she has, thanks to her Id (Mokuya) warning her of an incoming invasion within a month's time and she is worried that everybody, including the innocents, would likely get killed or worse… at least that's what her vision entails her.

Naruto agreed that the island nation is a complete catastrophic mess. Sooner or later, Yamatamaru will make good his threat. And just as he was about to leave, the ANBU made their arrival and one of them (Towa) said, "Naruto Ayase, you are under arrest."

"And what, pray tell, is my charge, ANBU-san?" the Ayase questioned, "I was planning for a training trip, dattébayo."

"That remains classified," Towa said as he and the ANBU squad take their "suspect" to the Council Hall.

 **-NUS:G-**

[At the Council Room]

Naruto is standing in front of the Ninja, Civilian, and Elder Council as Minato gave his charges, "Naruto, you were tried and found guilty of the charges of theft of the contents inside the Forbidden Scroll, the assault on the citizens - ninja and civilians, the assault on a Hyuga, and the kidnapping a fellow Uzumaki member. Because of the council's conditions, you are to surrender your stolen contents and a few notes of confession to the said people."

But Naruto isn't buying this one bit and said to the council members, "Fellow councilmen and Kage, nobody has a better opinion of you than I have, and I'm saying that you are nothing but a pack of contemptible hyenas. I will **-NOT-** apologize for my actions against you. You won't be able to find what you're looking for, because I don't want to make you see where my prized possessions are hidden."

And just as he was about to explain the real reasons behind the incidents, Minato has heard enough and said, "Naruto, think it over, because you will be detained to Blood Prison in Susuki. Please confess."

But Naruto sternly refused and said, "We will see who is the wrong when Yamatamaru is still on the loose, dattébayo. And mark my words, there are traitors amongst you that will lead you to your own downfall!"

And Minato told the ANBU to take Naruto out of his sight and that's what Danzo Shimura wanted as he planned his own squad of ANBU squad (A.K.A. ROOT) to pry into Naruto's memories to find where the Uzumaki's treasures were hidden.

[Meanwhile...]

"That's right, Danzo and his cronies have made their move."

…

"There was no proper trial for the boy, just the arrest and sending him to the pent."

…

"And there's word that the current head of the Uzumaki Clan is coming towards Konoha to have an assessment with Kushina and Tsunade and the councilmen because they caught wind of their deeds and they aren't going to like it."

…

"Yes, and when Naruto is now unjustly imprisoned, that was the last straw, they said. I can't tell which is worse, the Uzumaki Clan declaring war or Yamatamaru coming with his army. Either way, Konoha and a few other towns are going to pay the price."

…

"If that is all, I'll keep in touch with you. Goodbye." ***‹Hang up›*** "Whatever you do, Naruto, do try not to spoil the show and get yourself killed."

 **-NUS:G-**

[At the present time]

Mui, the warden of Susuki's Blood Prison, _(also an affiliated member of S.N.A.P.)_ is keeping a lot of convicts inside its walls. As Naruto noticed, something's not right here; there are particular people inside the prison, including women and children, that were imprisoned. They cried that they were innocent and Mui mercilessly used the seal to drain the prisoners of their strength and boastfully said, "Your cries of pain will only make you prolong the inevitable sentencing. Shut your f****** mouths, you miserable wretches!"

And he tossed Naruto into a cell with an older woman that goes by the name of Sis and a younger woman by the name of Ryūzetsu. Sis appears to be a fairly honest woman who is constantly praying for real justice to be done for the wrongly convicted, much like herself, and Ryūzetsu (an ex-Susuki nin that appeared to be of Kumo descent). And the women see a new cellmate arrive and they introduced themselves to him, "It's nice to meet some new company, young man. You can just call me Sis."

"And I'm Ryūzetsu, the dragon tongue."

"It's nice to meet you, fine ladies. My name is Naruto Ayase," he introduced back to the woman, "Formerly Uzumaki-Namikaze. Can you tell me why someone like you ended up in the most miserable prison like this?"

"We were supposed to go to Konoha to deliver a message from the mainland," Sis explained, "But that Danzo and his squad of fake ANBU captured us and held us prisoners in here. There are no real convicts, just mainly a company of Uzumaki envoys. And that was 6 months ago."

"And the people of Susuki sold me out to those rabid dogs, along with a few others." She mentioned that there are some to Otomura that wouldn't want in on Yamatamaru's scheme, so he sent the defectors to prison.

That was around the same time Naruto was kidnapped from his boating vacation. And Konoha and so-called family haven't even got the news from the Clan whatsoever.

"What's worse is that the children are caught in the middle of this crisis. Their parents are worried that if this dastardly seal keeps up, I'm afraid we'll all be done for," Sis explained further.

And Naruto agreed and said, "You're right. I don't really belong in this prison cell and neither should everybody. This is supposed to keep the worst of the worst away, not for locking the innocent."

And Naruto cunningly removed the Heavenly Prison seal without using any chakra and quickly removed Sis's and Ryūzetsu's cursed seals. "Don't tell them yet, otherwise that Warden would likely catch on to us." And he made a fake seal on the women to make the warden think that their strength would be sapped. In later gatherings, Naruto and his doubles helped secretly remove the seal, but promised them not to tell anyone until the time comes.

[Meanwhile, with Mui]

He is fixated on the mysterious box with a nightgaunt pattern, nicknamed the Box of Ultimate Bliss. He wanted to unlock the seal by using the Heavenly Seal's drained energy to be transferred to the inscription. However, he still hasn't had ideas on what to do with its contents (of which he wants the "riches" and live on the gravy train). Another thing is that he was assigned by Danzo Shimura and the Elder Council to make sure that no prisoner is to be escaped alive, all that for the love of money.

 **-NUS:G-**

[With Naruto]

After a week has passed, Naruto managed to free the prisoners from the Heavenly Seal and did some research and found that there was never a court trial that made him convicted on the first place. Of the prosecutor in the "case", Danzo _(a former ninja)_ was the person assigned to it. However, that caused a huge violation in the courtroom clauses, Naruto recalled from him and his doubles reading the copy of the current lawbooks, because the law states that an elder of the council who still wouldn't abide to the Kage's order should have been stripped of power and that includes the power of commanding his ROOT nin. Not to mention that every prisoner was either sent to jail by Danzo's or Yamatamaru's commands.

Naruto was busy training his body to keep himself in shape for the upcoming exams. 100 push-ups, sit-ups, squats (N* M*** H***** style), some additional chin-ups, and at least a few laps around the prison's walkway (about a 10 km length) early in the morning before breakfast. _(He learned the routine from reading a book of O**-***** M**.)_ It wasn't as cartoonish as the infamous overpowering hero, but the routine helped the Ayase develop a few muscles and then some. The prisoners also joined Naruto in his fitness.

Then came Mui and his gatherings to unlock the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be your last day on earth as your souls will be sacrificed to the seal the box. I, Mui, will come out triumphant after I get rid you prisoners, once and for all!"

But something is amiss! Not a single prisoner have experienced any sign of sudden weakness. So the warden declared, "I demand to know who undid the Heavenly Seal! One that doesn't come forward and everybody will die!"

"You are nothing but a sad, shallow, little man," a male voice said out to the warden, "Your [Fire Style: Heavenly Sealing] art is but child's play to a Fūinjutsu specialist."

It was Naruto who bravely stepped forward to face the jailer.

"So it was you, you scurvy brat?" Mui demanded an answer, "But you shouldn't have the ability to use Chakra to break the Heavenly Seal's hold!"

"Yes, me!" the Ayase replied, "It's a no-brainer to remove your puny seal, dattébayo. I'm going to ask you this question, Bokuri-san, why do you want to open Satri's Box in the first place?"

"Satri's Box‽" Mui muddled, "What are you saying, you little brat? This is the Box of Ultimate Bliss! I must use the prisoners' energy to unlock the contents!"

"That's where you're wrong there," Naruto disagreed as he moved closer, "For starters, you're using the wrong approach for that box. I've read about Satri's box that is from before the First Ninja War, designed by Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki to keep important objects away from the wrong hands. It's rumored that the design was inspired by one of the strangest nightmares he had. The box was inherently given to a head member of the Uzumaki family. Somehow, somebody had tried to rob the box of its prized possessions, including one prized object. And now, here you are, trying to wrongfully use my family's energy just to get rid of them‽"

The prisoners, Sis, and Ryūzetsu murmured to each other as they agreed to Naruto's research and theory.

"It's all for the good of humanity, boy!" Mui declared, "You and the Uzumaki clan are nothing but nuisances and menaces to society!"

"Don't you have anything better to say, you sap?" Naruto scoffed at the warden's poor reasoning and said to his newfound friends, "Ladies, can you please escort the prisoners far enough away? This is going to get violent."

And Sis and Ryūzetsu, along with a few others did.

But Mui is starting to get furious and yelled, "Nobody is going to leave this prison alive!" And he began to use his katas to perform a deadly attack.

However, Naruto got in front of the crowd and perform a jutsu of his own and Mui breathed out a fire jutsu aimed wide to burn his victims alive, but Naruto countered with a different art called "Aqua Tower!" And the water from the surrounding prison spewed upwards like a geyser and it douses the flames and soaked Mui from its deluge.

"Now how does it feel like being all washed up, Bokuri-san?" Naruto taunted his foe.

"You miserable little s***!" Mui angrily snarled, "You won't stop me from opening the box!" And with the stored stolen energy, Mui forcibly removed the seal and opened the box and what he saw utterly felt like gave him a heart attack.

When Naruto checked the box, the inside contents have an unusual carving that read in archaic Japanese (translated into English):

 **PEACE ON EARTH**

...was what it said.

"Well, I'll be damned," the Ayase said, "All that trouble for something of truly utmost importance, dattébayo." And he stored the nightgaunt-patterned box into a makeshift scroll as evidence and just in time, too. The HELLHOUND squad arrived and cuffed the disappointed warden who seemed to have lost his mind. The squad members helped the prisoners to their needs before being escorted to an overnight fortress, away from Konoha's line of sight.

Sis came to Naruto and said, "Young man, I would like to thank you for reuniting me with my family and the children. There are some of them that didn't have parents after they were forcibly been separated or that their parents died under unusual circumstances. Ryūzetsu has been helping me since her family in Susuki sold her out like she's a possession years ago; she's been like an older daughter to me."

And they see Ryūzetsu being together with her younger "brothers" and "sisters". It was a touching moment for the newly found family.

 **-NUS:G-**

[Outside of the fortress]

Gentō Nogizaka greeted the young Ayase and said, "I've heard great deeds about you, boy. You have captured one of the most wanted criminals, and you have made an impression in the Chakra Islands. However, you seemed to be troubled. Your biological parents wanted you back, but you refused."

And Naruto explained that all he wanted was to live the life of the Japanese citizen, work at a business to make a living, get married to a wife that is dear to him, and become a family. Naruto also commented that the women are coming to him more often for a lot of things; of which that it wasn't all his fault that he's " _attractive_ ".

After a long briefing, Gentō decided to split his squadron into 3 units: one team as to investigate Sabakutoshi territory to find Governor Rasa and make him back out of Yamatamaru's shady dealings, the second team is to investigate Otomura and liberate the prisons, along with some INTERPOL soldiers to capture and liberate the desolate town and rescue the innocent people from Yamatamaru's experimentations, and the last team is to assist and escort Gentō and the incoming Uzumaki clan to the Kage's office and have an understanding with Minato and the councilmen, as well as give Kushina and the Sannin what for, while Naruto is busy exploring the areas outside of Konoha territory before making his appearance in the exams, but not without planning and making one of the most doggonest pranks to Konoha, just to give them 'fair' warning that he is definitely not someone to be trifled with.

 **-NUS:G-**

[Meanwhile, at the Kage's office]

Mirin was finishing her training session, when she hears her mother making a huge exclamation from the hallway of the main office, "WHAT‽ Naruto has just escaped from prison, 'ttbané‽"

ANBU Cat reported, "Affirmative, but it seems that the Blood Prison just couldn't hold Ayase-san for even a week. The mainlanders liberated the prison and have set Naruto and the captives free. However, we have bigger problems." And the female ANBU handed over a proclamation… from her exiled clan members from Hokkaido and they aren't exactly very happy with her actions, as well as Tsunade's, and it was signed by her mother, Mito the 3rd, the 23rd head of the Amamiya Clan (formerly the Uzumaki Clan), and they are preparing to visit the Chunin Exams in due time.

Minato can even tell that Mito 3 is a hard woman that didn't liked her son-in-law very much. But she despises Danzo and her cousin Tsunade even more; it's because Mito 3 is a better nurse in iryojutsu and sealing arts just like her grandmother's (Mito the 1st). And with Danzo, she utterly despises him for driving the true Uzumaki clan out of the Island Nation, and forcibly leave a handful of their family members behind to end up being used as pawns for his little game.

Suddenly, Mirin entered the room and arrogantly questioned, "What's so great about Grandma coming here?"

But Kushina grabbed her oldest daughter's face and said, "Musume, your grandmother Mito is not only attending the exams, but she's coming to see us and she hasn't her grandkids in like, ever. Do you understand, 'ttebané? I want you and your brother and sisters to be on your best behavior!"

Mirin somewhat understood the gist of things, but she has never seen her grandmother and never knew what she looked like. She imagined a haggardly version of Tsunade (without the cover of Genjutsu).

Oh, how wrong she is...

 _To be continued..._

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 **A/N** : (Typed from 7/1/19) Well, that's out of the way. Lately, my head kept perking up ideas before I can post up more chapters. I still have to finish the other chapters before I forget any more inspiration.

Main Story: It's the scenario where Mika is trying to make Naruto have a date with her before the Summer Festival. I just go along with the regular role, with some twists in it to keep it close to canon, from a different angle.

Side Story: I decided to use the Blood Prison scenario, with a little twist. Unlike the original story, Mui didn't have family as he was consumed by a sense of avarice. "Sis" is based off of _Now and Then, Here and There_ and is a good family friend and matron to the Uzumaki clan. She helped take good care of young Ryūzetsu (who is a few years older than Naruto, close off to 16) and the young orphans.

Mito 3 is an OC, is the granddaughter of Mito 1st, and is a cousin (1st cousin) of Tsunade. Think of her as a red-headed Tsunade, still beautiful at 50, without the cover of Genjutsu and alcoholism affecting her body. We'll see her a little later.

As for Gento, he'll have a business matter with the Kage later, too.

»-Line Break-«

And the heat will be on!

 _-blukmage19_


End file.
